


Journey's End, Lovers' Meeting

by CalSantiago, FanficsbyVe



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Action & Romance, Adventure, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:07:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 167,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27404023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalSantiago/pseuds/CalSantiago, https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficsbyVe/pseuds/FanficsbyVe
Summary: A chance meeting in Arkngthamz leads to a life changing adventure. FINISHED.
Relationships: Male Dragonborn/Katria (Elder Scrolls)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. From The Brink

**Author's Note:**

> **Authors' Notes:**  
>  1\. This is not related to the Soulsborne/Skyrim crossover.  
> 2\. The Skyrim creators have confirmed that what you see in-game is about 10% of the actual real-life scope of  
> anything. They only created areas, characters and items necessary for gameplay and set dressing. See for  
> example Proudspire Manor, of which the basic layout differs in Skyrim and ESO. So it’s only logical to assume  
> that a city such as Whiterun or Solitude would actually be much bigger than it appears in the game and have  
> more people living there as well.  
> 3\. If something is mentioned to exist in another TES game and is not explicitly mentioned to be gone by the time  
> of Skyrim, it can be assumed that it can be found in Skyrim.  
> 4\. Game limitations don't necessarily apply in written fiction. Just because a character can walk into dragon fire  
> in-game, doesn’t mean they actually could. Just because the game won't allow you to crawl, doesn’t mean the  
> character can't. Just because you don’t see pigs or sheep in the game, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Skyrim,  
> for example, explicitly mentions that nirnroot is commonly used in food, but the game provides no such  
> option.  
> 5\. The presence of the Black Horse Courier, a newspaper in Cyrodiil, indicates that the printing press or similar  
> technology exists in this world. As there is no evidence that the paper is discontinued, we can assume this  
> technology exists in Skyrim as well.  
> 6\. Even if newspapers exist in Cyrodiil but not in Skyrim, there still has to be a way for news and other important  
> information to spread throughout the Holds, hence why we decided to include heralds, even if these  
> individuals are not present in the game.  
> 7\. Books like Legal Basics from TES: Daggerfall confirm that legal representation does in fact exist in this world  
> and is even considered a right in Cyrodiil.  
> 8\. Bethesda has confirmed that while all the quests in TES: Skyrim canonically took place, not all of them were  
> necessarily undertaken by the Dragonborn themselves or undertaken by the Dragonborn to the same extent.  
> This is the logic we operated on for this fic, as it didn’t really fit our version of the character to be the leader  
> of nearly all the guilds and organisations in Skyrim.

Cold, darkness, and a burning, unbearable pain. 

So this was what dying felt like.

Katria opened her eyes. She couldn’t feel her arms or her legs. Not surprising, considering the circumstances. The fall had been a long one and she had landed on her back, only barely cushioned by her armor and a large traveling knapsack filled with notebooks. Despite this buffer, she had still landed on solid rock, and there was no doubt every single bone in her body had shattered on impact.

Whatever parts of her body she could feel certainly seemed to indicate so. The bones didn’t seem to be in place anymore, shifting and grinding at her slightest attempt at movement. There was the unmistakable feeling of jagged, broken edges brushing up against muscle and veins, sharp as knives and poised to cut open the skin and spill her blood onto the very ground where she lay dying.

It might also explain why she couldn’t breathe. Her ribs were no doubt broken, piercing her lungs, causing precious air to escape into her own broken body instead. It was mixing with the blood that was no doubt leaking from her internal organs, swelling and rising as every drawn-out second brought her closer to choking and drowning inside her own body.

Of course, that was how she was going to go. The slow way. It would have been too kind, or too lucky, to either land in the water or just be killed on impact. It was going to take a while and it would be slow, agonizing, with only the ancient ruins for company, in a place where likely no one would even find her body… or at least not until it had long since turned to dust.

Hardly a glorious way to go…

All her life, she had been told about Sovngarde. About the place honorable Nords went to after death. A reward, for living righteously and fearlessly, unafraid of death. On that count alone, she figured she would be refused entrance. Because she was afraid and right now, she hardly felt like her life had amounted to anything.

Was this really how it would all end for her? After everything she’d worked hard for, after all the sacrifices she had made, was this really how she would leave this world?

A pathetic, broken pile of bones lying in the dirt in some godforsaken cavern miles underground.

Her eyes began to close again as Katria felt herself fading. She could feel hot tears run down her face as she was overcome with utter despair. She didn’t know if it was sadness or frustration or rage or some futile combination of all three. Nords should never accept defeat, but there was only so much power a mind had over a body that was rapidly giving out.

They were right, she thought. All of them. She would never accomplish anything. Her life really didn’t matter.

“Divines… She’s alive!”

The feeling of a presence beside her was sudden and unexpected. Frankly, she was in too much pain to keep track of her surroundings. She tried to focus, willing herself to stay alive a little longer. After all, it would be a comfort to know she wasn’t going to die alone.

The presence looming over her was male. She could tell as much from the silhouette, at least, as it seemed a lot broader and more muscular than the average woman would be. The armor seemed Nordic, but whatever skin she could see on the seemingly human face was rather dark, with a short, dark-haired beard to match. A Redguard, perhaps? That or a very dark-skinned Imperial. She settled on Imperial in the end, based on the facial structure.

Why was he here? It was unlikely that he was here to study the ruins, like her. That left her with either an adventurer, mercenary or bandit. None of which were options that she actually liked. Because the last thing she wanted to feel before she passed away was some stranger slipping what little valuables she had off her dying body and then continuing on his merry way.

It seemed that the Divines were not even going to let it end with her dignity intact.

Maybe she could ask him to kill her. At least, if she could still get any sound out of her throat. Her vocal cords might have ruptured just from the pained screaming she had done for what seemed to be the last hour or so. Still, she could give it a try. After all, a sword to the chest or an axe to the head would surely be quicker than this. He could have her stuff too, if he wanted. Not that she could stop him from taking it anyway, but perhaps she could still beg for a little kindness, as humiliating as it would be.

Anything was better than this.

Anything…

That word was the last coherent thought in her head before it was suddenly wiped from her mind. Out of nowhere, without warning, it was like a blast was set off inside her body, bright and hot like a fireball. It felt like her entire body was violently jerked from the darkness and into the light. A flood of sensation returned to her limbs and every single part of her that was numb started to feel again, with such force that she nearly had to retch.

Shaken, but instinctively clinging to this sudden burst of vitality, Katria focused her attention on the man, wondering what in Oblivion he was doing to her. Her eyes were quickly drawn towards rays of golden light, swirling all around her. They easily sank through her armor and clothes, entering her skin and whenever they did, she could suddenly feel herself swell with life.

The pressure on her organs was lessening and she could feel her loose, sharp bones twist away. They were moving back to their original position, coming together rapidly as layers started to form over the broken edges. She could sense the pools of blood that had leaked into her frame flow back into her veins, continuing their original path through her system. All of it should hurt, she was convinced it should hurt.

It didn’t. Actually, it felt rather good.

The lack of agony was quickly rendering her more alert and she now started focusing on the man. He had one hand on her chest and another on her belly, though he seemed to do his best not to apply too much pressure. His face was twisted in concentration, the golden light seemingly emanating from his hands.

A healing spell, she now realized, and he was applying it to her body.

Why?

She didn’t know this man. She didn’t know all that many Imperials. Most seemed to have left anyway, once the Civil War broke out in Skyrim. She couldn’t think of any reason why he was making an effort to stop the pain, much less try to extend her life. She didn’t trust it and if anything, it made her feel even more afraid. 

“Who are you?”

She hated how weak and broken her own voice sounded. She hated it even more when he simply gave her a quick glance, but not much else. Instead, he continued casting the spell, seemingly tuning her and everything else out.

This seemed to go on forever and she could only lay there, experiencing how her body was slowly knitting itself together. An incredible sense of relief washed over her the longer it went on and her senses started to perceive the world more clearly. It was like she was literally snatched away from the gates of death and that this person was practically dragging her further away, causing her previously deteriorating body to grow more alive the longer it went on.

It was almost heavenly after so much pain. So much so that, in spite of her fear and distrust, she was slowly starting to relax. Perhaps she was not going to die alone, after all.

Then, out of nowhere, the golden light stopped. Katria felt how the man withdrew from her and looked her over. Again, it unnerved her. She was still not in any state to speak or move and as the spell had stopped, pain was slowly returning to her body. In her current state, she was completely defenseless. This man already looked like a berserker under normal circumstances. There was no way she could put up a fight right now.

The man seemed to sense her trepidation. His brow furrowed for a moment and she could practically see his mind at work. What was he up to? Katria watched how he looked around their environment for a moment, seemingly formulating a plan of some kind, only for a sudden sense of clarity to come over him and turn back to her. 

He spoke and the look he gave her was almost apologetic. “That was the most I could do. We need to get you out of here.”

The Nord woman didn’t respond and she wondered if he was even expecting her to. Without warning, he started to work his large arms under her body and within seconds, she found herself being lifted off the ground. She hissed at the pain it caused, though it was nowhere near the anguish she was in mere moments ago.

It was practically terrifying how easy it was for him to pick her up. She was not a small woman by any means and her years of fighting and exploring had left her with a good bit of muscle. The fact that he could very easily move the dead weight that was her broken body didn’t make her feel any more at ease. Still, she decided to save her strength and didn’t struggle, praying to the Nine that she would have a chance of escape later on.

Much to her surprise, the man started to carefully walk across the fallen pipes that bridged the gaps around the rock, taking extra care to balance himself with the extra baggage he was now carrying. Once he had made it safely across the abyss, he moved more briskly and she soon realized that he was heading towards the entrance to the ruins.

A few seconds later, Katria found herself blinded by the sunlight she never thought she’d see again. She would have cried, had she still had the energy, but any sense of relief quickly disappeared as the man started to move again. His strides were long and purposeful, his body language indicating a clear goal and destination.

Even now, she was still not sure what to think. Within the span of half an hour or less, she had gone from barely accepting her own lonely death, to finding a stranger beside her, to being pulled back from the brink. Now, she was back outside, moving towards an unknown location and having no say in the matter.

Again, there was fear and doubt, and a hatred of her own weakness. She wished she had the strength to lash out. To maybe punch the man, roll out of his arms and run, then get herself to safety. After all, her life experiences of these last few years had given her ample reason not to be all that trusting anymore.

Anything else that ran through her mind, however, was quickly cut short. Out of nowhere, she found the man looking down at her. She wished she knew what he was thinking, but any attempt to discern it ended quickly as finally, he opened his mouth to actually interact with her.

“I’m Cadmus. What’s your name?”


	2. To Dushnikh Yal

Cadmus Santoro— or just Cadmus nowadays, as he preferred not to use his family name as much anymore— could only conclude that his day was not going the way he had planned.

This morning, after walking down the road from Markarth where he had put down a cannibalistic cult, he had decided to visit a Dwemer ruin that he knew to be nearby. He had learned about Arkngthamz from a book he had stumbled upon, called _The Aetherium Wars_ , and like most Imperials, he was fascinated by a good read about the past. Besides, being already in the area, he figured it would be a great idea to actually go and see the place, especially since he needed some form of distraction after the rather unpleasant task he’d just undertaken.

In any case, it sure was a welcome diversion from the apparent destiny that had now consumed his life.

Cadmus had never thought of himself as anything particularly special. Sure, his rich noble family seemed to think their feces had flecks of gold in them, but he himself just figured he was a very average Imperial in the Imperial City, a place that was swarming with them. That feeling stuck with him even when he traveled outside of Cyrodiil, both during his time in the army and after. He believed most people were unremarkable, life was unfair by definition and while one could and should use their privileges to help those less fortunate and create a better society, no one could truly save the world.

So needless to say, fighting a dragon and finding himself absorbing its soul, only to then hear he was some prophesied savior called a Dragonborn was a shock, to put it mildly.

Even now, after a year in Skyrim and hot on Alduin’s trail, he was still not entirely certain how he felt about that. He was no stranger to fighting. After all, he had been in the Imperial Army since he was fifteen and after he was pulled from service against his will by his meddling family, he had traveled all of Tamriel to offer his services to whatever conflict he deemed worthy of it. But to actually be destined to fight a cosmic horror named the World Eater was not a kind of battle he ever expected to face. And while he was determined to follow his destiny— as he very much liked the world not getting eaten— it was nice to occasionally just go back to being Cadmus, a free spirit wandering Tamriel and going wherever adventure would take him.

Except that was not how things were going to be today.

He had felt the earthquake when he came in, but thought little of it. Ruins like these were always dangerous and caution was his closest companion when exploring. When he spotted a body a few minutes later, lying on a single rocky island amidst fallen pipes and pillars, it had not surprised him. After years of being a soldier, explorer and traveler, the sight of corpses no longer fazed him. Seeing the type of places he went, it was more common to encounter dead people than live ones and by now, he had become used to the frustration that he couldn’t save everyone.

The body was that of a Nord woman, likely in her late thirties or early forties, with long, dark brown hair. She was clad in an old, rusty and battered-looking set of steel armor and she was also wearing a rather large, heavy-looking knapsack on her back. Initially, he was surprised to see no cuts or slashes on her body. Those tended to be the main cause of death in places like these. And while the woman’s face looked rather gaunt, nothing else about her suggested starvation or dehydration either. Then he looked up at the ceiling and the grisly truth stared him in the face. She had likely fallen and in the process, broken every single bone in her body.

The thought of that made his stomach turn and he could only hope that the fall had killed her on impact. He didn’t even want to think about a death like this coming slowly, alone and trapped in an abandoned place like this. He wouldn’t wish that upon his worst enemy and that was telling considering the amount of unpleasant cretins he’d met throughout his thirty-five years of life. Even so, no matter how long her demise had taken, she was gone now and there was nothing he could do for her anymore.

As such, he had treated the sight of the dead woman with the same dejected acceptance as he usually did. Mutter a little prayer to Arkay, then rifle through the deceased’s proverbial pockets for anything useful, be it information or valuables. Then, he’d move on and eventually, he’d forget, another faceless death in a land where life was often cheap.

He had knelt down to start his usual procedure, but as he had touched this woman’s side, it became very clear that something was off. Most notably, she was still warm and, however raggedly, still breathing.

That notion alone had been enough for him to actually curse in surprise. Impressive, for someone who looked at bloody scenes for a living. His astonishment, however, had been brief and was soon replaced by urgency. If she had indeed landed here on her back, then no doubt every bone and organ in her body was damaged and she was likely drowning in her own blood at this very moment.

It was likely already too late, but if he could still do anything for her, he had to act now.

On instinct, he placed his hands on her chest and stomach and willed himself to use a healing spell he’d learned a few months ago. It was nothing impressive. He was a man who preferred close combat and while he knew a decent number of spells and used them frequently, these were mostly meant to supplement his sword and heavy armor. Still, his skill was sufficient enough to get himself out of a tight spot and perhaps, it would still amount to something.

As he started directing the healing energy into the woman’s body, he wondered what exactly he was trying to do. He had no idea how long she’d been here in this state and from the looks of it, she could die at any moment. Perhaps all he was really doing was easing her passing or drawing it out even longer but less painfully. Still, he figured that was better than not doing anything at all and leaving her to perish alone.

So he kept at it, concentrating deeply to sense her injuries and willing her body to repair itself at an accelerated pace. Even through the armor, he swore he could feel something change. The skin was moving and pulsing, as bone and flesh underneath was drawn by the pull of magic. He could feel the tide of blood and other fluids recede, flowing back to where they were supposed to be. Unnatural, no doubt painful were it not for the numbing effects of these kinds of spells, but apparently effective. The question was, could he still sew her body back together in time for her soul to remain?

For a moment, he wondered if he should give her one of the many healing potions he carried on his person. It would definitely accelerate the process and might be more reliable than his spells. Still, he knew just what a toll they took on the body if consumed carelessly and in her current state, he wasn’t sure if she could even hold it in. She might be too sick and her organs too torn for it to even take effect. As such, he decided against it and simply continued, forcing the healing energy into her body, praying it somehow had an effect.

Seconds felt more like hours, creeping by in this place without any natural light. By Oblivion, it was more like time was standing still and he was caught in an endless, hopeless loop. One where she just kept teetering on the edge, nothing getting better or worse, and he gradually found himself getting more tired as he sensed the shifting and grinding within her body, repairing itself way too slowly to his liking.

Then he heard it. From the depths of her chest, a soft groan came out. Hoarse and raspy, but audible. It was followed by her fingers twitching and her body starting to stir. He watched her eyelids flutter and she seemed to fight trying to open them. Then she sucked in a breath, long and hard and desperate, and that noise was all he needed.

Again, he repeated the spell, not caring how many times he’d done it and how much longer it would take. He was getting somewhere. Color was returning to her cheeks and she was starting to respond to her environment again. This woman clearly wanted to live. And he was going to help her. He very rarely arrived in time to save anyone. If there was even a sliver of a chance he could do so this time, then he was going to give it everything he had.

“Who are you?”

She was speaking to him now. Another good sign. Briefly, he considered responding to her, at least to reassure her that he was trying to help and she would be alright. Still, he could sense she remained in a very critical state and he didn’t want to lose focus. With his limited skill, his priority should be to stabilize her first. Then, he would happily answer all her questions.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, repeating that healing spell until he was sure he’d be doing it in his sleep later on. Yet eventually, he could feel the changes in her body come to a stop. The bone fragments were in place. The blood was flowing through the veins again. The organs were at least capable of basic function. It was by no means perfect, but a far cry from the mess he’d found coming in. Still, she was going to need more than his haphazard healing skills to make a full recovery.

As he continued the pattern, his mind started to race. No one was going to come in here to help her. He knew moving her was precarious, but no healer would be crazy enough to believe his story and come into a decrepit ruin with him, as something like that could very well be interpreted as an obvious bandit ambush. His only option was to personally get the woman out of here and hope the healing he’d performed had patched her up enough so she could be moved safely. But even then, he wondered where he should take her in order for her to get the help she needed.

The best place he could think of for healing was the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun, but that was miles away from here. With his trial and error method of healing, he doubted she was stable enough to make it there. Even if he somehow managed to get her on a cart, it was highly unlikely that she would survive the twenty-hour journey to Whiterun the way she was right now. She would need to be in a far better state than this, but the closest town he could think of was Markarth. Between the distance and the Forsworn on the road, he couldn’t imagine getting her there safely. And leaving her here to find civilization and help was not an option either.

Civilization.

Suddenly, it hit him. There was a place nearby where he could take her. A safe place and one where there might be someone who could help. He could make it there and plan what to do next, at least. An Orc stronghold was already a lot better than Falmer-invested Dwemer ruins.

He turned to the woman. “That was the most I could do. We need to get you out of here.”

If she was planning to say anything in response, he didn’t wait for it. Instead, he started to carefully scoop her up, trying his best not to handle her currently fragile body too roughly. She was relatively heavy, which didn’t surprise him as she was rather tall and muscular, clad in a full set of steel armor, and had a large knapsack on her back that seemed to be filled with books. Her being dead weight at this very moment didn’t much help either. Still, he figured he could make it to nearby Dushnikh Yal like this.

The first hurdle had been the pipes, which served as the bridge off this rock. It was nerve-wracking to navigate them with all this extra weight in his arms, but he figured that placing her on his back wasn’t an option either. He doubted she had the strength to keep her arms wrapped around his neck and pressing her up against hard armor seemed like a terrible idea. So instead, he moved slowly and carefully, making sure not to look down. He breathed an actual sigh of relief once he found solid ground under his boots again a few long minutes later. It was the only break he gave himself, as he then forced himself to keep walking and get out of these ruins.

He practically hissed as the sun burned his eyes, but he didn’t allow himself time to recover. He strode down the trail in the direction of the stronghold, trying to keep a firm pace in spite of the woman weighing him down. She was quiet as he carried her, only occasionally shifting and making sounds, and it frankly disconcerted him. He just hoped she could hang in there long enough for them to reach the settlement.

Cadmus looked her over. Her eyes were open and she seemed to watch him with a mix of confusion, pain and fear. It concerned him, only for it to occur to him that he had not talked to her all that much. He’d been afraid that any distraction might cause him to make mistakes in her healing process, but as a result, she had no idea who he was or what his intentions were. Seeing that it was likely in her best interest to stay conscious, he figured he might as well rectify that now.

“I’m Cadmus. What’s your name?”

The Nord woman didn’t answer. Instead, she stared up at him with a look of suspicion. Honestly, he couldn’t blame her. It probably seemed strange that he only now seemed interested in talking to her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say much earlier. I’m not that great a healer and I didn’t want to accidentally make your injuries worse. I’m taking you to the nearby Orc stronghold for further treatment.”

Honestly, he had hoped that made things better. It didn’t. If anything, she seemed even more skeptical of him. Fair enough.

“Don’t worry, the Orcs consider me Blood-Kin. I’m allowed to enter their settlements and barter with them. I will vouch for you. It’s going to be alright, I promise.”

There was another silence and for a moment, he was afraid that she was losing consciousness again. As he glanced down again, however, he saw she was still looking at him. He could practically see her think. No doubt, she was determining whether she should trust him and he couldn’t exactly blame her for that. After a few moments, though, it seemed she had decided there were few other options.

“Katria. My name is Katria.”

 _Katria_ … That name sounded familiar to him, somehow. He was sure he had heard it before, somewhere, but he wasn’t quite certain. It didn’t sound like a very common Nord name. He pushed it aside. He had greater concerns right now.

He smiled. “Nice to meet you. So can you tell me what happened back there?”

She strained to talk, but nonetheless seemed desperate to do so. “There was an earthquake. The ground opened up. I fell.”

He actually found himself wincing at that. Obviously, his assumptions on how she had ended up in her terrible state were correct. Even so, he decided to ask more. Best keep her occupied and aware for as long as he could.

“What were you doing in there? Looking for Dwemer treasure?”

She made a face. “Something like that.”

She wasn’t giving him a lot there. Understandable, since she probably didn’t trust him any more than a merchant trusted buying on credit. Still, determined to keep her calm and cooperative, he decided to pry further.

“You’re a scholar, right?”

She almost looked as if he had caught her on something, which meant that his deduction was likely correct. That explained the knapsack full of books, at least. Still, he doubted she actually had something to hide. He couldn’t really detect any worry or guilt, just surprise. It wasn’t the first time he got that look. Being a grizzled, battered and scarred man with a brutish physique, people regularly assumed he wasn’t particularly perceptive.

Even so, his questioning seemed to set her off and in spite of her weak state, she apparently decided it was now her turn. “And you? Are you with the Imperial Army?”

He nodded, feeling comfortable enough to at least answer that. “Yes, I’m a Legate. Though I’m free to go elsewhere now that the Civil War is over.”

Deep down, he knew this might not help in her warming to him. After all, opinions on the war were heavily divided, even among Nords. For all he knew, he was giving this information to an active worshipper of Talos who did not take Ulfric’s death very well and still hated Cyrodiil for the White-Gold Concordat. Even so, he felt that giving her a basic idea of who he was might help in assuring her that his intentions were honorable.

Sure enough, it seemed to satisfy her somewhat. “So why were you in there yourself?”

Cadmus would have shrugged if he could. “I read a book about those ruins. It sounded interesting.”

Katria looked at him like he had murdered her entire family. “Figures.”

Sensing her terrible mood at this and not wanting her to tax herself any further, the Imperial male decided that the conversation was over for now. That was fine by him. He could already see the Orc stronghold in the distance and at this point, it was pure adrenaline that kept him going despite his exhaustion. He might as well save his breath and put an extra burst of energy into getting her there quickly.

Within minutes, he had reached the gates. He found himself looking up to see Arob, the stronghold’s Hunts-wife, leaning against the palisade walls and she called for the gate to open upon recognizing him. He strode through, then immediately turned right, to where he knew Murbul would be. The Orc wisewoman quickly noticed him, as well as Katria, and before she could ask, he spoke.

“I need your help. I found this woman in Arkngthamz. There was an earthquake, and she fell from a great height. Likely broke every bone in her body. She was barely clinging to life when I found her, but... I couldn’t just leave her there to die. So I… I tried to heal her as best as I could. I’ve managed to stabilize her somewhat, but I’m afraid I’m not skilled enough at Restoration. So I brought her to you.”

Murbul looked at the woman in his arms, then back at him. She shook her head.

“If she were an Orc, then yes, I would say she’ll be fine after some medicine and a few days’ rest. But your folk aren’t as hardy as we are. I can give her my strongest potions, but that won’t be an alternative for healing at a temple. And while you may be Blood-Kin, this woman is not. She cannot stay here.”

Cadmus was adamant. “In her current state, she won’t make it to a temple. Please, allow her to rest and recover here for a while. Perhaps there is something I can do for us to come to an agreement?”

It was the first thing he thought of. Normally, he would have offered money, not so much as a bribe, but as rightful compensation for the actual service of medical care. Yet after spending enough time at the Orc strongholds around Skyrim, he figured they might take it as an insult. While tribal Orcs did accept coin for trade, they were mostly self-sufficient. They would definitely see it as a bribe, arrogance on the part of a cosmopolitan Imperial who thought everything could be solved with money or pretty words. Orcs took pride in physical labor and achievements based on it. It made much more sense to offer an equal service that benefitted them in return.

Murbul seemed to think for a second, only for her face to light up. From the looks of it, there obviously was something he could do. Clearly, he had taken the right approach.

The wisewoman grinned. “A few days ago a band of Forsworn attacked our stronghold. They were foolish weaklings and we managed to kill most of them, of course. But a few managed to steal our meat and hunting supplies, including Arob’s bow. If you can retrieve that bow and those supplies, consider your debt satisfied.”

The Imperial nodded. “Thank you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t thank me yet, outlander. Put her on one of the beds inside and I’ll see what I can do. And while you’re at it, I suggest you sit yourself down as well.”

Cadmus was not going to argue with that. Now that he had actually managed to find help, it seems that his body had decided it was done working overtime. His arms and legs were starting to grow numb and he only now noticed that he was sweating profusely and out of breath. He was strong, after years of using a sword, bow or his fists against countless people and things that actively tried to murder him, but it would take an inhuman creature to carry a well-built woman and her heavy knapsack for nearly an hour without it being physically demanding.

As such, he happily followed Murbul into the longhouse. He allowed the Orc woman to take off Katria’s knapsack and put it beside the bed, then laid the Nord down as carefully as he could. The moment the weight was gone, all the adrenaline that had kept him going left his body and he suddenly felt a sharp, burning pain in his arms. The sudden sensation caused him to curse and he stumbled backwards onto the adjacent bed, instinctively placing his hands on his lap and trying not to move his arms as much as possible.

Murbul had disappeared into the cellar downstairs and returned a few moments later carrying an Elixir of Health in one hand and a wooden ladle in the other. She pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed where the woman currently laid, poured a few drops of the potion into the ladle, then carefully brought the utensil to the Nord woman’s lips and urged her to sip. The alchemist repeated the motion four or five times, until Katria had taken the appropriate dose of medication.

Once she had finished tending to Katria, Murbul turned her attention towards him. “I want you to rotate your forearms and try to raise your hands as high as you can.”

Cadmus attempted to do as he was told, but to his surprise, he found that he could hardly move his forearms. Even the slightest movement caused the searing pain to intensify and he winced in response. He tried to lift his hands off his lap, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t even raise them a quarter of an inch.

The alchemist huffed and shook her head. “Torn ligaments, just as I suspected. You’re lucky you didn’t manage to tear your own arms off with that stunt you pulled, outlander.”

The Orc uncorked a bottle of less potent potion and held it close to his face. He huffed. There would be no gentle spoon feeding for him, it seemed. As embarrassing as it was to be unable to even hold and drink the potion on his own, Cadmus complied and allowed the old wisewoman to pour the contents down his throat.

Orcish potions were extremely bitter, but the moment the liquid found its way past his mouth and into his body, he felt a warm, pleasant sensation taking over. Slowly, he could feel blood starting to rush towards his arms again. That was good. He was going to need them in order to settle his debt with the stronghold.

As such, he simply sat for a while, letting the potion do its work while watching Murbul treat Katria. She examined every part of her patient’s body, occasionally feeding her more of the healing potion. The Nord woman thankfully didn’t put up a fight, seemingly having decided that being in the company of Orcs and an Imperial was preferable to dying alone in the dark depths of a Dwemer ruin.

The wisewoman gave him a little grin. “You have done quite a good job, outlander. Everything’s in the right place. Good thing too. One wrong move and you might have impaled her on her own bones and suffocated her.”

The Imperial squirmed, all too aware of that. As such, he took the compliment for what it was and took heart in the fact that Katria seemed ever more alert and responsive. Her answers to Murbul’s questions didn’t seem to take as much effort anymore and her voice was losing its croaky edge. He was rather relieved at that. It meant she was going to pull through for now and she would probably be a lot better by the time he had dealt with the Forsworn.

It took around an hour or so before his body felt like its old self again. He decided that would have to do. The sooner he managed to make good on his promise to the stronghold, the better.

As such, he picked himself up off the bed and walked over to Katria. “I’m going away for a little bit. The stronghold has asked me to retrieve some of their belongings from a Forsworn camp, in payment of you being treated here. After that, I will go to Markarth and get us a carriage to Whiterun. The Temple of Kynareth can do far more to help you than either me or Murbul can.”

Again, there was that cautious look on her face. She still hadn’t decided to fully trust him. Fair enough. He too would be wary of any stranger so willing to stick out their neck for him. He just hoped he could adequately explain his motivations, eventually.

That, however, would have to wait. He currently had some Forsworn to attend to. With a bit of luck, he could talk them down and barter for the items. After all, he had no quarrel with them and as far as he was concerned, the Reachmen had as much of a right to live here as the Nords did. Unfortunately, the most extreme of them tended to hate other races just as much as the Nords, so he doubted he would be greeted with anything other than weaponry and cries of how The Reach belonged to them. In that case, someone was likely to lose a limb and he was just going to make sure it wasn’t him.

As such, he simply took a deep breath and headed outside, to carry out his part of this arrangement. It shouldn’t take too long. If everything was going well, he would soon have his hands on that bow and those supplies and he’d be able to get the both of them out of The Reach and on the way to Whiterun.


	3. The Road to Whiterun

It was funny just how rapidly life could spin out of control.

A few hours ago, Katria had found herself exploring a dangerous Dwemer ruin with all the usual caution. Then, a trap had sent her running. Several minutes later, she had found herself dying, alone and afraid. Only to, not long after that, feel life being forced back into her body by a stranger. This was followed by this stranger dragging her out of Arkngthamz and bringing her here, to the local Orc stronghold, where she now lay on a bed, staring at the ceiling of the longhouse.

She didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Katria hated being helpless. Right now, she was the very definition of it. While the pain was now numb and dull, a far cry from the horrific agony she had been in hours earlier, she still didn’t have it in her to get up. She was exhausted, drained by the vain effort of staying alive and the rough healing process of her saviors, and her legs mutinied at the very thought of getting off the bed.

She was completely dependent on these strangers and that thought terrified her.

The Imperial named Cadmus had gone away. To fight some Forsworn, apparently, as some sort of strange pact he had made with these Orcs with whom he had left her. She was not all that familiar with their culture, but she knew they were a hard-boiled, martial people. Whatever reason they had to send him out against Skyrim’s most fierce racial minority, she just hoped he was not getting himself killed and leaving her stranded here.

He said he was going to bring her to the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun. The finest, foremost place of healing in all of Skyrim. That almost sounded too good to be true. Perhaps she was getting old and cynical, but she couldn’t imagine why this man would make all this effort to help a person he didn’t know, wasting twenty septims on a ride from Markarth to Whiterun, and then Nine knew what else on whatever treatment by Kynareth’s finest healers would take. He was either the most unreasonably helpful man in the world or he had potentially made a deal with some remaining Dunmer or Sload slavers for sturdy Nord stock that only needed minor fixing up. Still, she couldn’t really afford to do anything but trust him and right now, she wanted to live.

She was pulled from her frantic thoughts by one of the Orcs coming in. It was one of the women, dressed in revealing clothes, with a look of utter displeasure on her face. The Orc looked at her as if she was a dead, rotting carcass being dragged in, but Katria could hardly blame her for that, seeing that it was very much how she felt like at this moment.

“I can’t believe they are making me do this… My Chief didn’t even argue. This is so humiliating.”

The Nord woman was wise enough not to say anything, but by the overall comments and the looks of the woman, she figured this was one of the Chieftain’s wives and likely not one that did any hunting or forging. She was carrying some food, some stew or soup from the looks of it, and Katria could only guess she had been assigned to feed her. Lovely. Nothing was better than being left at the mercy of someone who clearly didn’t want to be here.

When the Orc woman took a closer look at her, however, Katria could quickly see the annoyance leave her face. She saw how the Orc studied her and whatever disdain she had seemed to quickly turn to actual shock and pity. Which, as far as she was concerned, was almost worse.

“By the strength of Malacath… What happened to you?”

Still straining to even talk, Katria decided to sum it up in the easiest way possible. “I fell.”

Thankfully, the Orc seemed satisfied, her voice oddly soft and gentle. “I’ll assume it didn’t happen because you tripped over a rock. I’m Shel, one of the Chief’s wives. They asked me to come feed you and from the looks of it, you do need my help. So, let us get some food into you. You will need your strength for the journey to Whiterun.”

Katria took in that information quietly, not at all protesting as the other woman sat next to her. So Cadmus had told the Orcs the same thing he told her. That was at least a little heartening, but right now, she figured it was more important to cooperate with her new caregiver and at least ingest some food, no matter where she’d go next.

The smell told her it was potato and cabbage soup. No doubt because they didn’t feel it was safe enough to feed her anything solid. She wasn’t going to argue with that. If she would even attempt to chew anything right now, she was certain she’d die of pain.

As such, she quite happily accepted the spoonfuls of soup as the Orc fed her the entire bowl bit by bit. She could feel the heat of the meal spreading through her body and the pleasant, satisfying taste was rendering her more alert and lively again. Another step further away from death. Small progress, but still progress.

“You’re lucky the outlander found you. I don’t know much of medicine like Murbul, but you very likely wouldn’t have walked this off.”

Katria almost wanted to snort at that. While her body was sewn back together, she still felt scared to move. Every little part of her had broken into pieces on that damned rock. Part of her wondered if she could even move at all. So no, this was not something she could have walked off. The way things were, she might not walk again at all... 

She had the sense, however, to keep that to herself. Instead, she focused on the tone of the woman. She was certain she meant Cadmus when she referred to the “outlander” and she believed she had heard Murbul refer to him as such as well. Both Orc women spoke to and of him in casual tones, like there was a sense of familiarity there. Perhaps she could tease some information out of her about him, if only to better determine whether she should trust him at all.

“Does he come here often?”

Shel looked up. “The outlander? Yes. We have considered him Blood-Kin for a while now and so do the other strongholds in Skyrim. He tends to come by whenever he is in The Reach. Usually trades skins and weapons or buys alchemy items and smithing supplies from us. He is a good man. He respects the rules of our stronghold and is willing to help us with whatever problems we may encounter.”

Katria quietly absorbed this information. Judging from what Shel just said, it seemed the man was at least familiar to the Orcs. Still, with the vast cultural difference between Orcs and Nords, they might have a very different idea of what constituted a good person. What’s more, she had grown up in The Reach herself and knew quite a lot of its people. She was, however, quite confident she had never heard of him.

“So he is from the region?”

The Orc shook her head. “I doubt it. Ghorbash says he sounds like a native from the heart of Cyrodiil. He seems to travel around a lot in Skyrim, so I don’t think he’s from here, no.”

That answered one question, at least. Not that it put her any more at ease. Despite being somewhat of a drifter herself, she had the healthy sense to distrust others without permanent residence. They left no trace, either for good or bad, and it was very hard to gather information on whether they were to be trusted.

She kept that thought to herself, however. Instead, she changed the topic to regular small talk, both about herself and the stronghold. Shel seemed quite eager to talk and soon, the Nord woman was privy to all the drama that Orc polygyny entailed. She didn’t mind though, quite happy to simply pass the time and take her mind off the maddening, uncertain situation she found herself in.

Unfortunately, that sense of blissful distraction could only last so long. It took several hours, but Cadmus eventually returned. He seemed to be in a good mood, despite some obvious scratches and blood on his armor. Clearly, whatever had happened with the Forsworn had not ended in agreements and handshakes. The Orcs, however, seemed glad to have their belongings back and the Imperial was happy to announce that a carriage to Whiterun was waiting for them on the road.

Katria, still not really in any position to negotiate, simply took this for what it was. Still in too much pain to actually do anything, she said nothing as Cadmus approached the bed and was planning to lift her off it. At least, he would have done so if Murbul had not started to shout at him.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The Imperial stopped what he was doing and stared at her in confusion. “I’m taking her to the carriage on the road.”

This only made the wisewoman even angrier. “Not like that. I know that’s how you brought her in, but it’s a miracle she didn’t get any worse from all that jerking around. I hope you weren’t seriously thinking of just letting her sit on the carriage. The journey will take _twenty hours_! There is no way she will live through that!”

That was enough to make even Katria wince. Truth be told, she hadn’t exactly thought about the exact logistics of getting to Whiterun. She had made the journey many times before, but there was a huge difference between making a very boring, long journey on a bumpy cart when you were in good health and traveling that way when you were in incomprehensible pain and couldn’t move your body. It seemed Cadmus realized that too, as he moved away from her and gave Murbul his full attention.

“What would you suggest?”

Seemingly glad that her advice was taken, Murbul continued. “We need something sturdy to lay her on. Like a wooden board. Put some furs or straw on it so she’s at least somewhat comfortable. We also need to wrap her in a blanket, so she stays warm and her arms and legs can’t move. Then strap her down on the board so she can’t flop around on it. That’s the one way I can think of.”

The Nord woman had listened to the entire explanation with a look of utter horror. So she wasn’t even going to be left with her dignity? She was to be transported tied down and wrapped up, like imported pelts or a lump of meat? She was practically ready to scream and even more so when the Imperial man seemed amenable to the idea.

“That sounds like a plan.”

It was as such that, several moments later, she found herself indeed on a board, swaddled like a babe and held down with several leather straps. It was in this situation that she was carried by Cadmus and some of the stronghold’s male members towards a clearly very confused carriage driver. They talked to him for a few moments to explain the situation and once she was securely stored in the back, her new companion said this thanks and farewells to the Orcs, before picking up her belongings and climbing into the back with her before the carriage set off. 

* * *

The first few moments of their journey were mercifully quiet and she secretly hoped it would stay that way. Unfortunately, the Imperial soon turned his attention back to her.

“Are you alright like this? Are you comfortable? Are the straps not too tight?”

The more sarcastic part of her wanted to respond that she most definitely wasn’t, not considering the circumstances. Still, she thought better of it. If anything, she’d rather bring up the obvious problems.

“I can handle this for now. No telling how I will feel in several hours though.”

He nodded. “Yes. I’ll try my best to keep you comfortable. If you’re hungry, thirsty, in too much pain or need to relieve yourself, let me know. I’ll help you take care of it.”

An uneasy noise left Katria’s throat before she could stop it. The last thing she wanted to think about was urinating or defecating in front of this complete stranger. She currently hated everything about this situation and she could feel herself get even more frustrated.

Cadmus seemed to notice it. “I know, it’s not exactly the best situation. But I just want to make sure you make it to Whiterun in the best possible state.”

There, it was again. The assurance he would get her to Whiterun. To one of the best places for healing in Skyrim. All this effort, for a woman he found in a Dwemer ruin and hardly knew. She couldn’t help but question it.

“Why?”

Her companion gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?”

Straining herself, she elaborated. “Why go through all this trouble for me? You don’t know me. You gain nothing from it. What’s it to you that I get to Whiterun safely?”

It was there the Imperial fell quiet. He blinked, once, then twice, and he simply looked at her. The question had seemingly caught him off guard. But as she focused on his face, she could see no discomfort or any other sign that she had caught him at being disingenuous. If anything, he seemed almost… _surprised_ that she even asked.

He seemed to think his answer over, only to then shrug. “You’re right. I don’t gain anything from it. Not in the slightest. But you do. And all I know is that if I were in your situation, I would want someone to do all they could and not just leave me to die.”

Katria couldn’t help but notice how easily that last part came out. Not any practiced ease or delivered in any way that would be most pleasing to hear. It sounded almost… baffled. Like he was suddenly forced to elaborate on a simple concept that most people would grasp. Almost like he was explaining that water was wet.

She wanted to laugh at that. She would laugh if it wouldn’t make her body hurt uncontrollably. The way he made it sound, selflessly caring for the wellbeing of strangers seemed like the most normal thing in the world to do. It wasn’t. By Oblivion, in her case, this was probably the most care and compassion she had received from anyone in her life. If what the man said was true and he was a Legate who fought in the Civil War, having that level of empathy left was nothing short of a miracle.

Her face must have spoken volumes, because rather than trying to further convince her of his inherent goodness, he changed the subject. “So, how did you end up in that ruin? Or rather, end up there in your condition? You never did tell me.”

Inwardly, she sighed. So he wasn’t going to let that go yet. Not that she could blame him. Perhaps, he distrusted her just as much as she distrusted him. Dwemer ruins were often prime targets for especially foolish or brave bandits as well. While he did seem willing to help her, he might also realize she could be up to no good herself. And from what little she had observed so far, him being kind-hearted didn’t necessarily mean he was naïve or stupid.

Fair enough. She supposed he deserved to be put at ease somewhat himself. After all, she didn’t have to tell him everything, just enough.

“You were right earlier. I’m a scholar, specializing in Dwemer engineering and metallurgy. I was in that ruin for my studies. I set off a trap accidentally, causing an earthquake. As I tried to get out, the ground opened up. What you happened upon was the aftermath.”

For a second, she swore she could actually see him wince, only to sink into thought. “I felt the ground shake. Right when I entered the place. You must not have been there for very long when I found you, then. I’m no healer, but... I doubt you would have still been alive if that was the case.”

Even from her position, Katria found herself nodding. She was no healer either, but what he said made sense to her. If it was true though, it was nothing short of an amazing coincidence. That or perhaps her luck had not been entirely as rotten as she thought it was.

The journey to Whiterun was slow, but relatively uneventful. Once or twice, bandits threatened to show up, only to quickly move on when Cadmus, armed to the teeth and spoiling for a fight, jumped off the wagon to take care of the problem. Otherwise, the ride mostly consisted of him giving her a dose of healing potion every couple of hours to help with the pain, as well as trying to engage in simple conversation to pass the time. Whenever they stopped to rest, Cadmus had helped her eat and drink, often foregoing eating himself so he could tend to her needs. When it came to relieving herself, however...

At first, Katria protested at his suggestion. After all, what sane woman would allow a complete stranger to press a cloth against her intimate regions while she relieved herself? And even though the Imperial assured her that he had seen much worse things in the army— and that seeing women urinate was quite standard in a unit with both male and female soldiers— it was clear from his voice and body language that the arrangement was as awkward for him as it was for her. Still, Katria was left with no other choice than to simply swallow her pride, allow him to pull down her trousers, and urinate and defecate into the disposable pieces of cloth he held against her lower regions. She could then only watch in embarrassment as he chucked the waste-filled cloths behind rocks or bushes on the road, after which he would vigorously rinse his hands with wine.

The trip was bearable during the daytime, when the sun shone brightly and the blankets and furs helped insulate her fragile body. Katria did not fare so well at nighttime, however. No matter how much Cadmus tried to keep her warm with extra furs and even offering his own blanket, the elements were too much for her to handle in her current state and her condition quickly began to deteriorate.

Katria only had vague memories of the fever; she mostly remembered going into a shivering fit and Cadmus trying his best to keep her warm and prevent her from slipping out of consciousness. He called out her name and squeezed her hand, trying to get her to stay awake and alert, and while her vision had gone blurry at that point, she remembered his voice. It sounded almost… desperate, scared even. Still, the Imperial tried to be encouraging, telling her that they were almost there— that she needed to hang in there just a little bit longer… She could faintly remember making a stop at the small town of Rorikstead in the middle of the night, and the Imperial emerging from the local inn with more furs and blankets as well as a goatskin filled with hot soup, which he urged her to drink. Thankfully, this had been enough to keep her going through the night.

* * *

Come morning, the carriage had finally reached the gates of Whiterun. The Imperial man had thanked the driver, Kibell, profusely and seeing his good mood, she had no doubt that he had been paid more than the usual twenty septims for his trouble. He deserved it, honestly. She doubted riding for over twenty hours with a nearly delirious sick person in the back of the cart was the type of adventure many Nords dreamed of.

The next thing she knew, she was carefully loaded off the carriage by Cadmus and some of the stable workers outside the gates. The men carried her to the gates, through the streets, up a flight of stone steps to the city plaza, where she saw the large tree that Whiterun was known for. A few minutes later, she found herself outside the door to the Temple of Kynareth.

They were let in by a Redguard woman, who seemed immensely shocked and confused by the strange procession at the entrance. Her companion quickly explained the situation and Katria was brought inside. At last, the straps were removed and with the help of the workers, Cadmus and the healers, she was moved onto one of the treatment tables. Soon, she was approached by a middle-aged woman in tan robes and a yellow hood, whom she presumed to be the resident priestess of the temple.

“What is going on here, Cadmus?”

Katria briefly noted that the woman was calling him by name, but remained quiet when he spoke. “Her name is Katria. She fell from a great height in a Dwemer ruin in The Reach and landed on the rocky ground back first. I applied some simple healing spells and an Orc wisewoman gave her some potent medication. But she is probably going to need more than that.”

The priestess blinked and for a second, she seemed shocked before reverting back to stoic professionalism. “Right. We need to take off her armor. See how bad the damage is.”

This was met with solemn nods from the Imperial and her fellow healers. Katria quietly mourned as she found her beloved steel armor cut off her piece by piece with knives and scalpels, knowing there was no way of salvaging it. But the sense of loss was quickly overtaken by horror as the pieces were ripped away and she got a look at her own body.

Where there had previously been light human skin, there was now a rough, wrinkled, and almost leathery battered mess. An endless landscape of angry purples, blacks, yellows and greys, swirling all over every inch of her being, making the surface bubble with dried pus, blood and the Nine knew what else. Just looking at it made her physically ill and a single, horrifying thought loomed large inside her head.

She was never going to recover from this.

That was where she broke.

The Nord woman didn’t even realize how loudly she was crying until the noise echoed off the walls of the temple. Nor did she care. Right now, all she could feel was utter despair. Complete hopelessness at seeing this broken mockery of what was once a strong, healthy body, now mangled beyond recognition. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how it could be put back together, much less in any way that would allow her to walk or live a normal life ever again.

She looked at Cadmus, who looked back at her with concern and in that moment, she felt nothing but sheer bitterness and resentment. She wanted to spit and curse at him. For a second, she wished this man had just actually left her to die. It was better than dragging her all the way out here, just to show her how utterly unsalvageable things were.

“Don’t cry. I don’t think it’s too late yet.”

The voice of the priestess, gentle but firm, somehow managed to pierce through her haze of grief and stop her before she could lash out. There was a sense of steel in it, almost anger at her situation. It called out to her in a way. This woman, who didn’t know her, was seeing the same battered body as she did, but in her mind, it was clearly not a lost cause. She wanted to fight and she clearly demanded that Katria do the same. Katria knew she should, but how?

The despair was evident in her voice as tears continued to run down her cheeks. “ _How_? Every part of me is broken! How can I even sit or stand or walk or do anything for myself ever again?!”

The priestess gave her a look. “Do you still feel pain?”

Katria nodded and the woman’s response was perfectly matter-of-fact.

“Then there is still a chance of healing. If you could feel nothing, then paralysis is likely. But just the fact that you can still feel _something_ … even if it is pain… that’s already more than enough cause to hope for a full recovery.”

It was said with such confidence that Katria could hardly think to contradict it. As she did, she heard the priestess call out to her fellow healers. They instantly moved in to work on her, while the priestess turned to the Imperial man, still standing there at the ready.

“You should go home, Cadmus. Go get some sleep. We can handle it from here.”

He seemed ready to protest, but the priestess wasn’t about to listen. “You did all you could for her and you’re not going to be much help just standing around wringing your hands. Go home, have some food and go to bed. You’ve earned it. You look like you walked the planes of Oblivion yourself.”

Even in her terrible state, Katria could hardly disagree with the priestess in that assessment of her savior. Still, it was clear that he was very reluctant to go. In the end, however, his own tiredness seemed to win out and he relented, though not before asking a final question.

“Can I come back tomorrow to check on her?”

To that, the priestess smiled. “Yes, you may. But only after you have taken proper care of yourself.”

The Imperial let out a tired laugh. “It’s a deal. Still, how much do you require for her full treatment? I am willing to pay in advance.”

For a second, the hooded woman seemed almost uneasy. “We do the work of Kynareth here. To ask for payment would be considered… inappropriate.”

Cadmus seemed to think for a while. “How about a donation then? The work you do here is important. I just wish to make sure you can carry on doing so in the future.”

That made her relent and she smiled. “Donations are always welcome. Now go. The sooner we can get to healing her, the better.”

That was enough to make him obey. He nodded, but not before handing the priestess Katria’s knapsack and making her promise that she’d take good care of her belongings. He walked over to her bed once more and gave her one last smile, telling her that she was safe now. And with that, the Imperial exited the temple and Katria was left in the care of the priestess and her assistants.

The first thing the healers did after removing the last bits of her armor and clothing was to cleanse her body of all the pus, blood and dirt. While the priestess, whose name Katria quickly learned was Danica, began to perform a complicated Restoration spell on her, the female assistant, named Ahlam, started to clean her body some more with a warm sponge. Meanwhile, the male acolyte, whose name was Jenssen, returned with a bundle of temple clothes for her to wear.

Soon, Katria found herself in the middle of an endless cycle of healing spells, potions and brief respites, over and over until she stopped counting the stages. She honestly didn’t mind all that much. The pain was less than it had been in hours, which was definitely an improvement, and when she felt the urge to twitch or shift, she realized her body actually obeyed. 

Perhaps Danica was right. Perhaps, things could still be salvaged.

Indeed, as she occasionally glanced down, she swore she could see some changes. Her body stopped leaking pus. The intensity of the bruises started to fade a little. What’s more, strength returned to her and she found she could actively focus again. It was not much, but it was already more than she expected and it was at that moment that she decided that, no matter how bad things were, she was going to stick with it and see it through.

She focused on the ceiling, made of meticulously carved wood and with moss hanging down the pillars. She studied the grains and the green, trying to imagine herself being outside. She imagined herself relaxing in the water and the healing energy of the spells like soft waves washing over her. It put her at ease, if only to visualize that she was somewhere else, and she allowed her mind to drift on the faint hope that maybe, things would actually be alright. 

* * *

Katria only realized that she had fallen asleep when she woke up the next morning in a completely different bed. Startled, she tried to sit up, only to be quickly discouraged by a wave of pain shooting through her system. Deciding not to ignore that warning, she instantly stilled and just as she wondered what on earth had happened, the events of the previous day came flooding back to her.

She was in Whiterun. At the Temple of Kynareth. She was brought here by a man named Cadmus after a fall in Arkngthamz that should have killed her.

That sure explained the pain.

Instinctively, she tried to flex her fingers and wiggle her toes. She noticed with pleasant surprise that those parts of her body obeyed without hesitation, despite still being immensely sore. That was good. Maybe what Danica said was correct. Maybe she was still going to be okay...

“Ah, you’re awake.”

The priestess’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. The older woman walked over to her, sitting down on the edge of her bed. There was a smile on her face and for the first time in the past few days, Katria had a good feeling about things.

“Good morning. I’m pleased to inform you that we managed to fix you up quite a bit yesterday. It will take several more weeks, but your prognosis is looking good. We will be continuing with the healing sessions today.”

Those words were all she needed to hear. It felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her and for the first time since the accident, she could breathe deeply again, even if it did hurt her chest. So the priestess had been right the day before. This was not the end. She was going to live to fight another day.

“My guess is that Cadmus stumbled upon you within minutes of your accident. He acted quickly and made sure your body was at least stable during the time needed to get you to Whiterun. I think that this swift treatment and Murbul’s potions and advice are what saved your life and prevented any irreversible damage.”

Katria quietly absorbed that information. She recalled the Imperial saying something similar on the carriage and she guessed he was not too far off then. Even now, it made her laugh. For years, her life had been a never ending pile of misfortune. So what in the Nine had happened for her greatest misfortune to suddenly be offset by ridiculous luck like this?

The priestess continued. “Speaking of, Cadmus was here earlier. He asked how you were doing. I told him that you would have to stay here for a good while, but you will likely make a full recovery. He has responsibilities elsewhere, but he wanted me to tell you that his house here in Whiterun is at your disposal for further recovery, once you’re discharged. His housecarl will pick you up and look after you.”

The injured woman’s eyes went wide. _A housecarl_? Those were usually the privilege of either Jarls or Thanes. And while Cadmus had told her a little bit about himself on the cart, especially that he was originally from the Imperial City, he had mentioned little of what he was doing here in Skyrim now that the Civil War was over. Clearly, this man was more than just some wandering Legate from Cyrodiil…

“Anyway, Jenssen will soon be done preparing breakfast. Ahlam will help you eat. After that, we will continue where we left off.”

Danica proved to be a woman of her word. Soon, Ahlam came by and Katria was fed a mash of cheese and vegetables. Clearly, they didn’t yet trust her to eat anything solid and honestly, she was just glad to have something that filled her stomach and didn’t require her to chew. After that, she was wiped down with a warm, damp cloth and then, the healing sessions began once more.

Later that day, during a meal break, the Nord woman found herself asking her healers about Cadmus, her curiosity having been piqued by Danica’s earlier offhand comments. Jenssen confirmed that the man was indeed a Thane of Whiterun and a Legate in the Imperial Legion, adding that he was well-liked and respected by the community, especially after he helped defend the city during the Battle for Whiterun. Ahlam chimed in and mentioned how he had also done services for the Temple of Kynareth in the past. She pointed to the Gildergreen outside, explaining that the Imperial had volunteered to go to the Eldergleam Sanctuary to find a cure for the ailing tree, and had returned with a sapling blessed by Kynareth that had since taken its place. Katria quietly digested this information, and bit by bit, she started to come around to the idea that Cadmus saving her life was a good thing.

The next few weeks were a monotone sequence of events. A never-ending cycle of healing, and rest, and meals, and bedpans, and sleeping. It was honestly the most regularity she had ever experienced in her life. Just the same order of activities, each day and every day. It was boring, but also comforting and the members of the Temple treated her with patience and understanding. It felt good to receive that kind of treatment for once and quite frankly, it had been a very long time since a person had shown her… _kindness_. 

All of these people had been overwhelmingly, unconditionally kind towards her and she still wasn’t sure how to process that. Danica, Jenssen, Ahlam, Shel, Murbul…

And Cadmus.

She had to admit, she thought about the Imperial often, usually at the end of a long day of healing, right before going to sleep. She hadn’t seen him in weeks, and while logically, she knew that he likely had business elsewhere and more important matters to attend to, another part of her wondered if they ever would meet again. The last she saw of him, he was smiling at her, reassuring her that she was safe now and that she was in good hands. Even in her dreadful state when she first arrived at the temple, when her rescuer was about to take his leave, she had seen that he looked just as disheveled and exhausted as she was. It was only then that she realized just how much trouble this stranger had gone through just to save her life.

She mostly remembered the smile on his face— when he smiled at her, Cadmus no longer looked brutish or intimidating, but gentle and, surprisingly, quite pleasant to look at. Something about that smile felt warm and sincere and for some reason, it made her feel… calm. There was just something about that image that stuck in her mind… Throughout the entire ordeal, she had been distrustful of the man, thinking ill of him, being bitter and resentful and wishing he’d just left her to die rather than prolonging her suffering… And yet, the Imperial still did whatever he could to ensure that she lived. Frankly, it baffled her. Looking back on it, Katria couldn’t help but feel guilty for the way she had been around him. She hoped that she would have a chance to thank him personally for what he had done for her, but until then, she focused on getting through her healing sessions and mending her broken body one day at a time.

Indeed, as time slowly crawled by, her body started to make the progress that Danica had promised. The pain slowly lessened and in time, she found movement became easier. At first, it wasn’t much, just simple movements like being able to clench her fist or lift her head. But as time went on, she found herself being able to sit up again or roll over in bed. The temple healers were able to manipulate her arms and legs without hurting her. What’s more, the bruises started to actually go away, leaving only scars here and there, and her body started to look like her own again.

Perhaps the biggest improvement came during the fourth week or so, when Katria managed to gather enough strength to stand up again. Of course, she still needed to lean on Ahlam for support and she could only stand for a few seconds, but still, just the fact that she was able to get out of bed did wonders for her self-esteem and soon, she began to actively work towards her rehabilitation. Within a few days, she was able to get out of bed and, with the help of some crutches, carefully walk towards the treatment table.

The healers were nothing if not pleased by the results. It was only now that Danica let slip that she was one of the most challenging cases she’d ever worked on, but that she was reaching all her milestones. She was doing excellently and the priestess was confident that soon, she would not need daily sessions anymore. In two weeks or so, she was ready to move out of the temple into Cadmus’s house and she would only need to come by a few times a week to finish up the rest of her rehabilitation process.

Finally, that day arrived. On the morning that she was to be discharged from the temple, a dark-haired Nord woman in steel armor arrived. She introduced herself as Lydia, Cadmus’s housecarl, and informed Katria that she would be escorting her to the house in which she would be staying for the rest of her recovery. 

It was an odd feeling, finally being able to walk on her own and leave the Temple after all the time she’d spent there. Just to know that she was still alive and the nightmare was mostly over. She turned to Danica one last time before walking out the door, clutching her knapsack.

“Thank you… Thank you so much. For everything.”

Danica smiled back. “It was my pleasure, child. Grace of Kynareth be with you.”

Katria took that greeting happily. After all, she’d gone through, perhaps the Divines were still watching over her. And if not, well… At least this woman who seemed guided by them was. That was a comforting thought, at least, as was the pleasantness of the housecarl who quite happily escorted her to Breezehome, where she would stay.

The house was modest in size, with a main living chamber that had a central fire pit for both heating and cooking. There was a pot with meat cooking, a large kettle of boiling water, a few baked potatoes on the coals and some meat and vegetables on skewers— the delicious smell wafted around the room and it was there that Katria noticed that she was starting to get hungry. At the very back of the room was a dining table and a long bench, a cupboard, some shelves, and a doorway that led to a small side room with an alchemy table. There was also a narrow set of stairs that led to the second floor of the house, where Katria assumed the bedrooms were located.

Katria also saw that there was also a large wooden tub next to the fire pit, which was already half-filled with hot water. A small stool with a bar of soap and a sponge lay at the foot of the tub. She was hit by the sudden realization that, aside from an occasional sponge bath, she hadn’t washed in several weeks— possibly over a month, even— and at that moment she felt incredibly grimy. She couldn’t help but think of the time when she had all but soiled herself during the journey to Whiterun, and the fact that she had been wearing clothes that were stained by the sweat and ennui from Divines knew how many other patients that had previously been treated at the Temple of Kynareth.

Lydia seemed to notice her discomfort. “You can take a bath here. Don’t worry, I made sure to prepare a change of clothes for you. And please, help yourself to whatever food you like. You will be sleeping in the master bedroom upstairs. If there’s anything you need, just let me know. I am here to take care of and protect you for the rest of your stay in Whiterun.”

Katria smiled. “Thank you.”

Lydia promptly took the kettle off the fire pit and emptied the contents into the tub. After the housecarl had finished filling up the tub with hot water, she went upstairs to give Katria some privacy. She undressed and got into the tub, letting out a sigh of relief as she slowly submerged herself in the water. It felt amazing, and she felt not only the physical dirt and grime wash away, but also her feelings of unease and anxiety. A nice, hot bath was as invigorating for the mind as it was for the body, after all. After a few minutes of soaking, Katria picked up the bar of soap and sponge and began to thoroughly scrub herself.

It was a longer, much more arduous task than she thought. The healers had done their best to keep her clean at the temple, but there was only so much they could do in her state. There was filth in places she didn’t even consider possible and it felt amazing to finally be rid of it. To finally wash away all the pain and the misery and the dirt. To leave it behind and realize the worst experience of her life was finally over.

By the time she rose from the tub, the water was a filthy brown color. Katria was only glad to leave it behind, happy to see the remnants of a bad accident washed off her. She then turned to the pile of clothes Lydia had left her. They were made of a thick, but soft quilted fabric and were a beautiful dark grey color. It looked rather expensive and it sure felt that way. She doubted she was allowed to keep them, but they would do nicely for not stumbling through her host’s house naked.

At this point, she was definitely feeling hungry. Remembering Lydia’s remark that she was free to take food, her eyes turned to the cooking pot. The smell of the meat was too good to ignore and she figured it was alright if she took it as long as she left some for the other inhabitants of the house. Within seconds of that thought, Lydia happened to come down the stairs again and she quickly decided to confirm it with her.

Lydia smiled. “Yes, you can also have some of the meat. Just give me a second to throw out the bathwater and we can eat together if you’d like.”

Katria was quick to take her up on that. After several weeks in the Temple with only Danica, Ahlam and Jenssen for company, it was admittedly quite nice talking to someone new. Just like it was nice being able to have a meal while not surrounded by the groans and cries of the sick and wounded.

Soon, the two of them were sitting on the chairs near the fire, eating the best meal she’d had in a long time. Venison chop, with grilled leeks and cooked tomatoes as well as a baked potato. She couldn’t even begin to count the amounts of soup and stew and mash that had been fed to her since the accident. Understandable, of course, as her healers didn’t want to upset her broken body. Yet after a while, she was so sick of it that the first time she was cautiously offered some bread, she had snatched it from Jenssen’s hands and bitten angry chunks out of it like a wild animal. To finally be able to eat hot food again with textures and strong flavors was a luxury she never thought she’d ever be so grateful for.

So the two of them sat and ate, making small talk about the Temple, her accident and Whiterun in general, when it suddenly occurred to her that Lydia did not seem to have any food set aside for Cadmus. It struck her as immensely odd. She had also noticed that the house was rather quiet, with no signs that any other person besides Lydia lived here. After thinking about it for a few moments, she decided to bring up the matter. There was no harm in asking, after all.

“Is Cadmus not joining us?”

Lydia shook her head. “No. He’s not in Whiterun at the moment. He comes by sporadically, but it’s usually just me in Breezehome. That or guests staying with me.”

That answer only confused her further. “Why does he not stay at his own house?”

The housecarl smiled. “He mostly lives in Solitude these days. He has a family there— two daughters— and he said it was safer for them to live in the Capital, especially when the war was still going on. He left Breezehome in my care and he offers it to any of his friends who need a place to stay here in Whiterun.”

Katria quietly absorbed that information. “I see.”

She ate a few more bites of her food, quietly mulling over what she knew now. So the Imperial was indeed a Thane. She got that part correct, at least. It probably explained how he had the money and connections to help her out, at least here in Whiterun. The title, after all, was usually only given to respected members of the Hold. Him living in Solitude also made sense, seeing how he was a Legate and the headquarters of the Imperial Legion were there. And from the remark about having two daughters, she could reasonably assume he was either married or had been in the past. It seemed Cadmus was a very busy man, and yet, one who still took the time to help her out… A rarity in Skyrim nowadays.

Finding herself becoming more curious about the man who saved her, Katria decided to ask a few more questions.

“So how did he become Thane then? Did he fight for the Empire in the Battle for Whiterun?”

The other woman shook her head. “He did defend Whiterun during the battle, yes. But he became Thane much earlier than that. It’s… a bit more unorthodox, actually. Cadmus attained the title through… the unique circumstances of our times.”

Katria gave her a quizzical look. “How so?”

The housecarl chuckled. “He killed a dragon.”

Katria nearly choked on her drink. She had not been expecting that answer, or the fact that it had been spoken so casually. She had known dragons had returned to Skyrim for some incomprehensible reason and she had seen some of them soaring through the skies as she went on her expeditions. Only a madman would fight those head-on and apparently, her host was crazy enough to do so and succeeded. Suddenly, she had the feeling that the bandits who had thought about robbing them in The Reach had the right idea to run at the mere sight of him.

Then again, he was also mad enough to try and bring a dying woman back from the brink, then carting her halfway across Skyrim to the best healers in the province. He had succeeded at that, too.

Her stunned face clearly amused Lydia. “Anyway, eat up. Drink up. The worst is over now. There’s only the aftermath left and I’ll be happy to have you over as long as you need.”

That was something that Katria could do. Easily so. Just sit for a while and enjoy a victory. It had been too long since she felt like that. But here she was, safe and sound, in a place where she could relax and carefully work on her next move. For now, however, she would feast and be merry and raise a mug to Cadmus, Thane of Whiterun and Legate of the Imperial Legion, the man of the hour who made it possible for her to even sit here in the first place.

Katria spent the rest of the day resting in the master bedroom. She had checked her knapsack for the first time since arriving in Whiterun, and she was immensely relieved that all her belongings and books were still safely inside. She then had a much-deserved nap in the afternoon, after which she headed downstairs just in time for the evening meal. After dinner, she approached Lydia once more before turning in for the night. She uneasily let it slip that she wished to ask for another favor, but thankfully, the housecarl seemed more than willing to hear her out. That gave her a little more confidence, so she went ahead.

“Can I ask where in Solitude Cadmus lives? I want to write him a letter… you know, to say thanks for everything he’s done for me.”

The housecarl seemed surprised by that request, but nonetheless was happy to grant it. She explained that he lived near the Blue Palace, in the Avenues District, and was well-known in the city. Lydia told her that if she would give a letter to a courier with his name and that information, he was sure to find it. Katria thanked her for this and with that, she finally retreated to the privacy of her room.

She sat down at the desk in her temporary home and began looking around for a roll of paper, a quill and an inkpot. After finding the necessary items, she began writing. She had some difficulty keeping the quill steady in her hand at first, due to her body still not yet being accustomed to fine movements after several weeks of being bedridden. After a few minutes, however, the dexterity slowly returned to her wrist and she managed to write a coherent letter, albeit with somewhat shaky handwriting. There were so many things she wanted to say, but in the end, she managed to compile her feelings into concise, meaningful words.

_Dear Cadmus,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I’m pleased to inform you that I was discharged from the Temple of Kynareth today and am now staying at your home in Whiterun. I still need to see Danica a few times a week for healing sessions, but I am now able to stand and walk on my own with little to no pain. Your housecarl Lydia has been very kind to me and has been taking good care of me as well. Again, thank you so much for offering me food and shelter. I really appreciate it._

_I know we didn’t get to speak much due to the circumstances, but I just want you to know that I’m truly grateful for everything you did for me. Kindness is sometimes in short supply in Skyrim nowadays and you have done more than anyone reasonably should. I’m alive thanks to you and I hope I can someday repay you in full._

_I pray that one day, we can once again meet face-to-face, so that I may thank you in person for giving me another chance._

_Sincerely,  
Katria._

Once she was satisfied with what she had written, she sealed it inside an envelope and left it on the desk with a small note to remind herself to find a courier to send it first thing in the morning. She then laid down on the bed, resting her head against the soft pillows and getting under the thick furs and blankets. As she stared at the ceiling, waiting to fall asleep, she briefly wondered what Cadmus was doing. She figured he was either out on duty with the Legion or spending the evening with his wife and children. Either way, she hoped her letter would reach him, so that even if they didn’t get to meet again, she would have at least been able to thank him for saving her life.

She had already made up her mind. Once she was better, she would go around the Whiterun area, collecting some money through odd jobs and selling items. First, she would buy herself some new armor and supplies. Then, she would try to at least earn a portion of what she owed Cadmus for her care and give it to him and Lydia, just to show her gratitude for all their efforts. 

Once that was taken care of, only then would she proceed with her plan— to leave Whiterun and go back to Arkngthamz to finish what she had started.


	4. Musings at The Bannered Mare

It was good to see Whiterun again.

Cadmus smiled as the city came into view in the distance. Soon he could see the imposing silhouette of Dragonsreach as he walked across the tundra. He had just returned from a diplomatic mission, to free the oldest son of the Gray-Mane family from Thalmor custody, and he was heading to the city to tell them the good news that he had gotten him out. His high rank in the Imperial Legion and his connection with General Tullius had made it easy to draft an order for his release. And while Thorald had still decided to join what was left of the Stormcloaks for fear of the Thalmor, he was grateful for the rescue and the two men had parted on amicable terms.

Frankly, Cadmus had hoped that he could simply bring the son home to his grieving mother Fralia, but he could at least assure her that he was free and safe. Seeing how negotiations could sometimes turn out, he counted that as a success. So off to Whiterun he was to inform her, as well as to deliver a letter from Idgrod the Younger of Morthal to Danica Pure-Spring in the Temple of Kynareth.

Additionally, it would allow him to check up on his guest in Breezehome as well.

Lydia had been properly updating him on Katria’s progress throughout the time he was gone, and it had relieved him to hear that the damage to her body was indeed reversible. He had also been surprised when, about five weeks ago, he had received a letter from Katria herself. He had just woken up that day and was about to start cooking breakfast when a courier had suddenly knocked on the front door of his house in Solitude. He had to admit, he was quite moved by the thank you letter and appreciated the fact that she had taken the time to write him and let him know how she was doing.

He had immediately sent a reply, telling her that it was his pleasure to help her, and that he was happy to hear that her recovery was going well. He had also asked her how she was finding Whiterun and if Breezehome was to her liking, and a few days later, she had written him another letter in response. Before he knew it, the two of them had begun corresponding on a regular basis, their messages gradually going from polite and cordial to warm and informal. And after exchanging several letters over the course of five weeks, he and Katria had become acquaintances of sorts.

And now that business once again brought him to the city, he was hoping to see her again in person.

The first thing he did upon entering Whiterun was to visit the temple. Danica was happy to take the letter, as well as talk to him about her experiences with Katria. It had been hard, she said, and required immense amounts of work, but she was proud to say that Katria had recovered fully. What’s more, the Nord woman had been a model patient: polite, cooperative, and more importantly, tough as nails and never complaining about the many unpleasant procedures she had to undergo. All in all, it had been rough, but incredibly rewarding and the process had taught everyone at the temple a lot about their own healing capabilities.

She concluded it by saying that Katria had finished her final sessions a week ago, but that she had still seen her around Whiterun. She had returned to the temple a few days ago to make a donation of her own and once again express her thanks. From what Danica understood, she was taking odd jobs around town and had been going out into the tundra to hunt game and scavenge items that she could then sell at the market, so she could soon leave Whiterun and be on her way again.

Cadmus listened to all of this with a smile, glad to know that things worked out in the end. Even so, he had still hoped to see her for himself and ask how she had been. Perhaps have a drink at the tavern to celebrate her recovery. After all, the last time they had seen each other face-to-face was two months ago, and under none too flattering circumstances to boot. And while exchanging letters had been nice, he would’ve also liked to have a normal conversation with his new acquaintance before bidding her farewell and parting ways for good.

Still, all that had to wait as he had other business to attend to in Whiterun. After once again thanking Danica for taking good care of Katria, Cadmus headed to the Wind District to visit the Gray-Mane residence. Fralia was at home that day and while she had been devastated that she couldn’t see her son in person, she was comforted by the evidence that he was indeed free. It broke his heart that he couldn’t do more for her and part of him just hoped that Tullius taking the fight to the Thalmor would settle down the last remaining Stormcloaks, if only so this woman could have her sons at home again. Even then, he had not expected the old lady to embrace him and tell him that she didn’t care he was a Legate for the Empire since she considered him a friend of the family and, more importantly, a good man. She smiled as she bade Cadmus goodbye, adding that she hoped his parents were proud of him, since they had a lot of reason to be.

That had almost made him grimace. Cadmus had never quite gotten on well with his family, at least not since he became a teenager. They were not terrible people, though he had to admit that they were, unflatteringly, par for the course for Nibenese nobles. Still, even after their estrangement, he still loved them. But they had never quite seen eye to eye. Like the rest of his family, he appreciated learning, diplomacy and intelligence, but their goal in life was riches, influence and status, while he felt more drawn towards his Colovian brethren and favored physical work. This tended to clash with his family, who would’ve preferred to see him go into politics and marry rich. After many years of being seen as the problematic middle child among their five children, his parents had shipped him off to the army at fifteen in hopes it would straighten him out, figuring he’d be pleading to come back home in a few months.

That had been twenty years ago now. He grinned at that memory, and the fact that him being sent to join the Legion was apparently “punishment” in their minds. On the contrary, the army had in fact been the perfect outlet for his martial pursuits, and his inquisitive nature and penchant for continuously learning and problem-solving had allowed him to quickly ascend through the ranks. It had been a good life, mostly, even if he could never fully get used to taking lives or not being able to save everyone… If anything, he was glad that he had his place in the world and so had his relatives.

Yet when his family finally realized after ten years that their plan to bring him back into the fold wasn’t working, it seemed they could not accept it. Instead, they had started scheming behind his back and used their connections to have him honorably discharged from the Legion, mere days after he attained the desired rank of Centurion. He had indeed gone back home to his family after that, but only to simply grab the few items he still cherished, walk out of the Imperial City and never come back.

The moment he fled Helgen, he had re-enlisted as an Auxiliary to help out with the Civil War, being careful not to mention his family name, and his deeds during the battles had not only helped him regain his rank, but climb all the way up to Legate. He was proud enough of that, and petty enough, to actually send his family a letter informing them of the good news. He doubted they would actually send him a reply, much less an apology for what they’d done, and while it still hurt him, he’d made his peace with it long ago.

So here he was now, a newly minted Legate stranded in Skyrim after a decade of wandering Tamriel, and a woman old enough to be his mother was saying his parents should be proud of him. Fralia didn’t see the irony in that and he was glad for it. Sometimes, it was a little painful that he managed to build stronger bonds here in Skyrim with complete strangers than he ever did with his own flesh and blood.

With that sobering thought, he decided to head back to Breezehome to rest for a bit, perhaps get some sleep. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was starting to set, so turning in early sounded wonderful to him. After all the missions and traveling, he could at least reward himself with that.

The walk to Breezehome was mercifully short and free of distraction. Upon opening the door to his house, he noticed that his housecarl’s gear and sword were missing from the corner where they usually were. Lydia must have had business with the Jarl and the other housecarls at Dragonsreach that day, then. Perhaps she was off training with Irileth and Hrongar again. Cadmus merely shrugged, since he had no qualms with Lydia going off to do her own activities and he’d in fact encouraged her to do so, since he rarely stayed in Breezehome anyway. Still, he was immensely grateful for having a permanent place to stay whenever he was in Whiterun. And at the moment, it seemed he had the house all to himself, so the Imperial took off his helmet and headed upstairs to his bedroom where he could remove the rest of his armor and undress. He soon reached his room and was about to open the door, already anticipating the feeling of his head resting against the pillows.

“Lydia, is that you?”

Cadmus stopped for a moment, surprised to hear Katria’s voice. So she was indeed still around. Figuring he shouldn’t scare her, he called from outside the door.

“No, it’s Cadmus. Everything alright in there?”

There was a short silence. “Yes. I’m clothed, by the way, if that’s what you’re asking. You can come in.”

Immensely thankful that she caught onto the reason for his caution, the Imperial proceeded to open the door. He peered into his bedroom and sure enough, there she was.

Katria stood in front of the bed with a half-eaten apple in her hand. The Nord woman looked at him, seemingly as surprised to see him as he was to see her. She chewed a few times and swallowed, before giving him a sheepish smile.

“Hello, Cadmus.”

The Imperial smiled back. “Hello, Katria.”

She moved the hair out of her face, somewhat timidly. “It’s good to see you… I… Um… Sorry, it’s a little strange actually seeing you again in person after only talking to you through letters…”

He hoped he hadn’t intimidated her somehow. Despite generally being mild-mannered and having an easygoing disposition, Cadmus was well aware of the fact that his height and large, muscular build might seem imposing or even threatening to those who weren’t familiar with him. It didn’t help that his heavily scarred face and broken nose gave him the appearance of a thug. Not wanting to scare his guest, he softened his voice somewhat and smiled.

“It’s alright. I’m glad we got a chance to meet face-to-face. You… you look good.”

Thankfully, she smiled back. “Thank you.”

In all honesty, he almost didn’t recognize her himself. For one thing, this was the first time he had actually seen her standing upright. It almost caught him off-guard to see how tall she was, even though he already noticed that she wasn’t a small woman when he was carrying her to Dushnikh Yal. There were a few other changes he noticed as well. Her eyes looked brighter, alert, and no longer dull and unfocused. Her face looked less gaunt, she had a healthier complexion, and her skin no longer looked sallow and corpse-like. Her dark brown hair was no longer matted with dirt and blood, but clean and shiny and had grown past her shoulders. Compared to the last time he saw her, he had to admit, she actually looked rather beautiful.

But most notably, she now looked— to put it quite bluntly— _alive_.

“I see your time at the temple has paid off.”

That remark actually made her laugh. “It definitely did. It took more than two months to work out the last of the kinks, but my body has healed now. All thanks to you bringing me here.”

He wondered if she understood how much it meant for him to see her like that. When he found her in the Dwemer ruins, he had doubted he could still actually do anything for her. Many times he worried that he might have accidentally made her injuries worse, or that she might not make the twenty-hour journey to Whiterun. Seeing her lying in the cart, completely helpless and in constant pain, the thought that he may just have to bury her on the side of the road lingered in the back of his mind. And when she came down with a severe fever in the middle of the night, Cadmus seriously started having doubts about whether he could still get her to the Temple of Kynareth in time… or whether he would have had to bring her to the Hall of the Dead instead.

Perhaps it was a miracle that helped her pull through. He was not particularly spiritual, but he still liked praying to hero-gods, including the one outlawed by the White-Gold Concordat. Still, her recovery had been nothing short of astounding and he couldn’t express how thankful he was that his insane plan had worked.

“It was my pleasure. So… how have you been? Do you and Lydia still get along?”

She chuckled. “I couldn’t have asked for better company. She’s been incredibly kind and patient with me and helped me get around Whiterun throughout my stay here. And… I know I’ve already told you this several times in my letters so forgive me for repeating myself, but… I can’t thank you enough. For saving me. For taking care of me… and for offering me your home.”

He almost wanted to blush at that. Clearly, being able to stay here meant a great deal to her. And perhaps it had been very charitable to let her stay here, but he couldn’t imagine forcing her to stay at an inn in her state. Besides, he only lived at Breezehome sporadically. It only made sense to offer it to her as a safe place where she could recover in peace.

By now, he noticed that she was wearing armor. It looked a lot like the steel armor he had found her in, but he knew it was not the same. For one thing, her previous set of armor had been filthy, rusted and worn, not to mention the fact that he’d seen that armor being cut off her body and it had probably been unsalvageable. So this was likely a new set. And he doubted she would have spent money on it unless she felt she would need it in the near future.

“I see you are about to leave us soon.”

She let out a little sigh. “Yes. It was wonderful staying here for a while. But I have used up your hospitality long enough. I… I need to get back to my research.”

It shouldn’t have set him off, but something about that sentence caused the hairs on the Imperial’s neck to stand on end. As they talked on the cart to Whiterun, she had mentioned that she was a scholar specializing in Dwemer engineering and metallurgy. That meant she was likely in Arkngthamz for the same reason. She couldn’t possibly be implying...

“You’re not thinking of going back to Arkngthamz, are you?”

Katria didn’t answer, but he noticed how her entire demeanor changed. Almost as if he caught her red-handed doing something she shouldn’t. Cadmus hoped that she hadn’t noticed the sudden change in his own expression as well. In a split second, his mood had changed from happy and relieved to disappointed and worried. After everything that had happened, why would she still want to return to those dangerous, unstable ruins and put her life in danger again?

Questions were already rapidly firing through the Imperial’s head. There had to be a good reason for her to want to go back to Arkngthamz. She was a Dwemer scholar, after all, and she mentioned originally coming to the ruins for her studies. There must have been something very important in there if she was willing to risk her life all over again… He had an idea of what the Dwarves had left behind, having encountered their automatons during his own explorations. But by now, thanks to the Dwemer Museum in Markarth being made open to the public, more and more people were aware of the existence of Dwarven Spiders and other similar machines. 

So there must have been something else in Arkngthamz that Katria was searching for… But what?

Perhaps he was a meddling fool, but after all the effort he had invested in keeping her alive, he wasn’t just going to stand by and let her walk back into danger without good reason.

It was then that Cadmus realized something. He had heard the name “Katria” before, and it had to be more than a mere coincidence that the woman standing in front of him also happened to be an expert in Dwemer metallurgy… Still, he wanted to confirm it for himself. He decided to change the topic.

“Do you want to go have a drink? We can go to The Bannered Mare and talk there.”

She frowned in confusion. “What?”

The Imperial persisted. “Most people who break their leg in a bear trap don’t actively try to step in it a second time. I don’t fully know what your story is, but I assume it’s long enough and rough enough that we may as well have a meal and a drink. So how about it? It’s on me.”

For a moment, he was certain she was going to turn him down. If anything, she looked like she was ready to simply pack up her stuff and leave then and there. Still, after a few seconds, she seemed to come around to the idea and nodded.

“I suppose a farewell toast would be nice before I go… Very well then. I’ll take you up on your offer. Besides, no self-respecting Nord would turn down free mead.”

Cadmus couldn’t help but chuckle. So he’d just won himself some time. Good. That might give him the opportunity to get the full story out of her and finally understand just how he’d come across a barely alive human splatter that day in The Reach. Perhaps getting her to feel comfortable and at ease might just be the deciding factor in finally figuring out the mystery.

So off they went to The Bannered Mare.

* * *

The tavern was thankfully not yet too crowded at this hour, which meant that the two of them could easily get a corner table and speak with some semblance of privacy. Saadia the barmaid soon approached them and asked them if they wanted anything to drink or eat. Katria happily ordered some mead, as well as some beef, buttered carrots and bread. Cadmus himself settled for some wine, bread, rabbit, tomato and goat cheese. He paid a few extra septims so Saadia would cook the meat for them, feeling way too tired to do it himself at the fire pit. It only took a few moments for them to tuck into their plates and this relaxed atmosphere gave him an opening.

“So several months ago, a few weeks before we met, I came upon this book… And I can’t help but wonder. Do you know a man named Taron Dreth?”

Almost instantly, Katria stopped eating and looked at him as if he’d taken a Divine’s name in vain. She stared at her plate for a moment, seemingly composing herself. A twinge of familiarity rose in him. Even when in pain, she had seemed incredibly bitter and resentful when he mentioned coming to the ruins due a book. That meant he might be onto something. He saw her hands clench and unclench and there was an undercurrent of anger in her voice when she spoke.

“So you’ve read _The Aetherium Wars_ , then…”

The Imperial could sense sudden tenseness, but nodded. “I came upon a copy at Castle Dour in Solitude. And I think I might be right in assuming that this book and its writer had something to do with you being in Arkngthamz, correct? Is it related to Aetherium, by any chance?”

Katria gave him a look. “Do you even know what Aetherium is?”

He shrugged. “I had a vague idea of it. From what I get, it’s a magical crystal of some sort.”

No doubt her scientific mind was appalled by such a simple description, and she explained in further detail. “It was a rare mineral used by the Dwarves. Supposedly, they had to build a special forge, the Aetherium Forge, to even work with it. The items it made were so powerful and so precious that they went to war over it, and the Forge was lost. Or so the story goes.”

Cadmus continued his questioning. “And you trusted the author of this book enough to go looking for this rare mineral, and the Forge, yourself?”

She snorted. “Ha…! I wouldn’t trust Taron if I were drowning and his hand was the only thing I could grab!”

By now, he could see how her mood only grew darker. This was a sensitive topic, clearly. The part of him that was concerned for her happiness and wellbeing wanted to leave it be. The more sensible part of him, however, felt this needed to be discussed, if only because it might prevent her from going back to that treacherous ruin. She spoke again.

“That book is his only claim to fame. And that’s not saying much. The only good ideas he has are those he takes from others…”

She tore off a piece of meat and started to chew on it, seemingly indicating she wasn’t that willing to talk about it. That one little comment, however, was all Cadmus needed. He had mulled over the events in The Reach a lot during his time in Solitude and that tiny bit of information was the one thing he needed to put everything together.

“ _You’re_ the author of _The Aetherium Wars_ , aren’t you? Dreth stole your work.”

Katria gave him a surprised look. “You… How did you…?”

Cadmus shook his head. “That doesn’t matter right now. My theory is the following. You were researching Aetherium. Taron Dreth, who you likely know well, stole your research and published it under his own name. But it was just your word against his. So you went to Arkngthamz, to find something that would prove that it was you who originally came up with the concepts presented in the book. An earthquake happened during the expedition, you sank through the ground… and that is where you and I first met.”

The Nord woman didn’t say a word, instead just staring at him with a mix of astonishment and possibly horror. He didn’t flinch. He took a sip of wine, maintaining eye contact.

“Tell me, how wrong was I?”

The look she gave him said it all. “You got all that from just a few questions… Well done. Honestly, I’m not sure whether I’m impressed or terrified. So… let me fill in the gaps for you.”

She took a few more bites of her food and drank some more mead.

“Taron was my apprentice. Talented, but prone to taking shortcuts. He had taken an interest in ancient Dwemer forging techniques and a colleague suggested I take him under my wing. He accompanied me on several expeditions, but he… never really seemed to pay attention to what he was doing. Had to fish him out of several traps. Never even bothered to learn how to read Dwemeris— that’s the Dwarven language, by the way. On top of that, he was very… _arrogant_ , to put it bluntly.”

The Imperial gave her a nod. “Sounds like a problematic student.”

The Nord woman sighed. “You have no idea… I don’t know how I managed to put up with him for as long as I did.”

The two of them paused to continue eating their respective meals. Cadmus could tell that talking about her former apprentice was unpleasant for Katria, but at the same time, she almost seemed relieved that she was able to vent her frustrations to someone.

After another gulp of wine, he decided to press further. “And how did Dreth end up plagiarizing your work?”

She stared at her plates for a few moments before responding. “I was… formulating a theory. I had made a significant discovery after an expedition to the Mount Anthor Summit— a clue regarding the possible existence of a Dwemer forge that was built to smith weapons and armor with arcane properties. Taron seemed really interested to hear it, and I thought that maybe he was starting to come around and was actually putting effort in his studies…”

She took another sip of mead before continuing. “After a while, he kept asking if he could borrow my journal, so he could ‘compare notes’. I didn’t think much of it at the time, so I lent it to him… That was my mistake. Next thing I know, he publishes my writings word-for-word under his own name. And just like that, twenty years of research… my theory, my discoveries, all the hard work I had done… just… gone.”

Her voice sounded noticeably weaker as she said that last part, and Cadmus could only wince listening to the story. Frankly, he believed her. Her anger seemed genuine and he’d had the misfortune of running into people like Taron Dreth himself. The kind of self-absorbed wretch that was convinced they were the second coming of Tiber Septim and demanded praise and admiration for deeds they had not yet achieved and likely wouldn’t ever perform. Who saw every other person as disposable and treated every little setback or dismissal as an unforgivable slight. There had been plenty of these in the Imperial Legion as well, especially among his own class. However, at least in the army you never had to deal with them for long, because the commander either got rid of them early or they died quickly.

He thought for a moment. “I’m guessing he also put that dedication with your name in it to hide his tracks. Make himself look good. That and he thinks he’s smarter than everyone else and can get away with it.”

His companion grimaced. “That definitely sounds like Taron, alright. Unfortunately, he may as well have already gotten away with it. I mean, I tried to go to his publishing house to address it. They all just laughed me out of the room… They said I had no proof. And at the time, I didn’t. Unless...”

That sentence was easy to finish. “Unless you find what you’re looking for in Arkngthamz to prove that he is a fraud.”

Again, Katria nodded, taking another swig of her mead. “Pretty much, yes. Basically, anything that can prove that my theories were correct, at least for the most part. There were many loose ends in my notes. Many things that were just guesswork at the time. But then I found a map…”

Cadmus gave her a look. “A map?”

She nodded. “I explored Mzund, an extremely rundown ruin on Solstheim. I found an old book there. It was moldy and mostly decayed, but I could make out that it was written by one Nevichund Stungnzalf. She was a Dwemer engineer who apparently lived on the mainland for a while. Not only did she claim to have seen the Forge, she actually provided details that indicated she had worked on it! In her log, there was a map with locations,all seemingly related to Aetherium in some manner… Arkngthamz was prominently mentioned as a research center. So if there is one place where I could find evidence, it’s there…”

At this point, she was rattling and throwing around names and terminologies that weren’t all that familiar to him, but Cadmus was not about to interrupt her. By now, it was clear that whatever brought her to that old Dwemer ruin, it was not folly. Desperation, perhaps, but also well-founded belief. The only belief left to a woman whose world had been destroyed.

She sighed. “If I can have proof of the Forge either way… Well, I don’t know if that will prove Taron was a fraud. But it will at least make me feel like all my research of the last twenty years, everything I did, actually mattered…”

She sounded so tired as she said it and for a moment, Cadmus just felt genuinely sorry for her. He knew what it was like to have one’s life work ripped away from them for selfish reasons. Even now, he was bitter about how his family had pulled strings to get him discharged from the Legion for their own selfish reasons, obliterating ten years of hard work and achievements in one fell swoop. Still, his attempt at getting his life back had not been interrupted and nearly ended by a bone-shattering drop of over fifty feet. And as insensitive as it might sound, he couldn’t help but bring that up.

“Is it worth potentially dying over, though?”

The Nord woman’s response was defiant, almost insulted. He watched how she drank some more mead, then slammed her tankard on the table. Her eyes were ablaze as she spoke.

“I’ve been doing this for twenty years and I’m not going to let it all go to waste. If I lose my life trying to achieve my dreams, then so be it. Let Sovngarde take me! I’m not just going to give up and sink into obscurity!”

The Imperial barely managed to prevent letting out an exasperated groan. These Nords and their misplaced sense of pride… He was just about to give her a piece of his mind when suddenly, as if right in cue, Jon Battle-Born passed in front of their table. The aspiring bard, who was holding his own tankard of mead, had apparently overheard what Katria said and decided to give his own opinion on things.

“You know what’s wrong with Skyrim these days? Everyone is obsessed with death!”

Cadmus drank some more wine. “My sentiments exactly.”

By now, Katria looked as if she was going to smite him then and there, but she quickly composed herself. “Look, I’m grateful for everything you did. I really am. I owe you a debt and there’s a pouch with a thousand septims in your room covering at least a partial payment of it.”

The Imperial was about to ask where she had gotten that kind of money, but she cut him off. “I’ve been doing odd jobs since I got better. Wandered the plains for herbs and abandoned wagons. Sold items and game meat at the local market and trader. I swear to you I will repay you in full once I’m able to, but please… _please_ understand that your obligations towards me are over.”

He fought not to smack his head, or hers for that matter. Did she really think this was about money? Or debt? Or that damned abstract sense of honor that Nords loved more than their own bloody mothers and mead? He had helped her because he could, because he had the money and connections and resources to help.

However, she was right. He had no obligations towards her anymore at this point. But after seeing her through such a terrible situation, was it wrong that he still felt the urge to keep her safe? That he still wanted to feel like saving her actually mattered?

Perhaps he really was being selfish. He knew that. He could also definitely understand why she wasn’t just going to abandon her dreams and her life’s work. He doubted he would have listened if someone had told him it was a terrible idea to re-enlist in Skyrim. Still, after investing so much time, money and effort in pulling her from the brink of death, just seeing her off with a fond farewell and a dignified wave was not on the table for him.

He had made his decision then and there. If she was still going through with her plan to return to Arkngthamz anyway, there would be no use in trying to talk her out of it. Besides, he had been granted a few months’ leave from the Legion and dragon sightings had thankfully been low recently. So if he had dedicated himself to this potential fool’s errand, he might as well see it through to the end.

Cadmus took a deep breath, then spoke again.

“Look, I know you’re not going to change your mind about this. If I can’t stop you, then… how about if I give you a hand?”

For a moment, Katria looked like he had slapped her in the face. Clearly she hadn’t expected that response.

“What?”

Cadmus shrugged. “I’ve been in Dwemer ruins before. I’ve encountered their automatons, had a brush with the Falmer and their… pets. I doubt I have nearly as much experience and knowledge as you, but I know what to expect and what we could be up against. At the very least, going in together might increase the odds of you finding what you’re looking for.”

Katria blinked at him slowly, her face reflecting disbelief and perhaps even a hint of suspicion.

“But why? Why would you help me, when you have nothing to gain from all this?”

His reply was blunt, but sincere.

“Because I also know what it’s like to have your life’s work taken from you. I've helped you this far. I might as well help you with this too. So… how about it?”

There was silence between them. He could sense how the Nord woman sized him up. For a moment, he was certain she would refuse, storm out of the tavern and leave for Arkngthamz right then and there.

Then, however, she smiled. “You’re an odd man, you know that?”

Cadmus smiled back. “So I’ve been told.”

Katria tipped her tankard to finish the last few drops of her mead. “Alright, then, Cadmus. I accept your help. Let us hope that the second time's the charm."

The Imperial chuckled. “Well, now that that’s settled… You want another drink? We might as well enjoy ourselves for the rest of the evening and have a good long sleep afterwards. Divines know I need one, at least.”

For possibly the first time, Katria flashed him a big, bright smile. "Like I said, I don't turn down free mead."

Katria proved true to her word. Before long, she was already on her fourth tankard and he was not too far behind with his wine. She seemed surprised that a “fancy Imperial” could hold his alcohol and at one point even challenged him to an impromptu drinking contest. Clearly the mead was helping her loosen up and get more comfortable around him. She was smiling more, laughing even. Katria genuinely seemed to be in good spirits and whatever disagreements they’d had earlier that evening were quickly forgotten. Soon, the warm, friendly atmosphere that the two of them had previously only experienced through letters returned. He was glad about that. If they were going into the Falmer-infested ruins of a lost civilization, it helped if they got along.

By half past nine, however, Cadmus was starting to feel the combined effects of alcohol and general exhaustion from traveling. He informed Katria of this, stating that she was free to stay and put another drink on his tab if she wanted. The Nord woman declined that offer and a few minutes later, the both of them were walking back to Breezehome, still happily chatting away. However, that feeling of levity evaporated just as suddenly when Cadmus opened the door and Katria asked a very important question.

"So, what should we do about sleeping arrangements?"

He hadn’t really thought about that. Of course, sleeping in the same bed with a person he barely knew was out of the question. And while he had regularly shared beds and bedrolls with his fellow soldiers, male and female, when the situation required, he figured Katria might not be as comfortable with the idea. He was just about ready to take his bedroll out of storage when Lydia, who had returned home a few hours prior to them and was getting ready to sleep herself, intervened and offered Cadmus her bed.

To be honest, he didn't quite like the idea of robbing his housecarl of a bed either. But it then occurred to him that since his bed could easily hold two people, Lydia and Katria could share it instead. He proposed the idea of a temporary switch and thankfully, all parties agreed. And thus, with the promise of all parties sleeping comfortably that night, he settled into the mattress, looking forward to several wonderful hours of slumber.

As he drifted off to sleep, Cadmus began making plans for the next morning. The first thing he would do would be to write a letter to Jordis, informing her that he would not be returning to Solitude right away and asking her to please watch over his daughters a little bit longer. Then he would eat some breakfast, wash up and ready his gear and weapons. If he had time, perhaps he could prepare a few potions as well. The better prepared he and Katria were for their expedition, the better.

Tomorrow, they’d embark for Arkngthamz.


	5. Return to Arkngthamz

“So, are you ready to do this?”

Katria nodded, staring up at the gates of the ruins that had nearly killed her. 

It was strange standing there again after more than two months. It had taken a walk of about three hours to get to Arkngthamz from Markarth, where she and Cadmus had originally arrived from Whiterun by carriage the day before. They had spent the night there in separate rooms at the Silver-Blood Inn on the famously uncomfortable stone beds Markarth was renowned for, though thankfully her Imperial companion was able to convince the innkeeper to get extra furs and blankets, as well as an actual mattress on her bed. Katria was honestly relieved at that, since she wasn’t yet comfortable with sleeping on a hard surface after having just recently recovered from her injuries. All in all, she had slept relatively comfortably and the next morning, after a hearty breakfast and packing some food for the road, they had set off for the place where it all began.

They were going in well-prepared. Cadmus was armed to the teeth, dressed in a full set of heavy Nordic Carved Armor with an Ebony sword and bow. He had offered her better armor and weapons as well, suggesting to go by the local blacksmith. She had declined on the armor, preferring the lighter steel she had bought herself. However, her trusty steel daggers had broken in the fall and she had lost her bow somewhere along the way as well. She had bought some cheap iron daggers as replacement, as well as a simple hunting bow, and it had been the most she could afford at the time, since her primary focus had been repaying Cadmus for all his care.

Still, if Cadmus was offering to pay for something that could do more than butter some bread, she was not going to refuse. He had asked her specifically what types of weapons she preferred, as well as how she liked to fight, reasoning that the more they played to her strengths, the higher their chances of survival and success. She mentioned that she was mostly an archer and liked to deal with threats from a distance. At the same time, if she did need to get close, she preferred to use small, quick weapons such as daggers. Cadmus took note of this and eventually ended up getting her a pair of Nordic daggers and giving her his old Imperial bow.

Katria thanked him excessively, still mentally adding this to the debt she owed him. She could deal with that, if it increased her chances of walking away from Arkngthamz in one piece. Besides, an old ruin like this might still be filled with treasure. The Imperial man probably knew that as well and perhaps she could pay another portion of her debt in gems, armor or ingots.

Even so, that was mostly an afterthought as she fixed her eyes on those gates. The first step was going inside again. They had gotten this far. It was time to finish it.

She pushed against the large metal door.

The first thing she noticed was the sudden change in temperature. It was much colder inside the ruins now, and the hairs on her arms and neck stood on end. The second thing was the darkness. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, and even then she could only see faint outlines of fallen pillars and pipes, as well as rocks and other debris from the collapsed Dwemer structures.

“Cadmus, can you look around for a branch or something? We’re going to need a light source.”

The Nord woman searched her knapsack for items that they could use to make a torch. She found some bandages and a half-empty bottle of mead. Good, now all she needed was something to light a fire with. She knew she had a box of matches in there somewhere, but after all the outings in the Whiterun tundra, she wasn’t sure if she had enough.

Her companion, however, had a different idea. He took a deep breath and began to concentrate, then suddenly, he released a ball of light from the palm of his left hand.

“There. Now we won’t have to worry about stumbling in the dark.”

Katria chuckled. “I forget you also know how to use magic.”

Cadmus shrugged. “Just a few basic spells. Come on, let’s go. And watch your step.”

As they walked, the ground began to slope downwards, eventually leading to a cavernous area with a large chasm in the center. There were collapsed pillars all over and a roaring subterranean river down below. Katria felt an unpleasant sensation in the pit of her stomach. She recognized this place… This was where she had landed after her fall.

Almost at the exact moment she had that thought, a large chunk of the ceiling came crashing down into the water below. A loud splash from the impact caused her to inadvertently jump, and suddenly, horrible memories of the earthquake came flooding back. Before she knew it, her heart was pounding, her vision started to go blurry and she began to have difficulty breathing.

”Katria? Katria!”

The Nord woman snapped back to her senses and found her companion gently holding her by the shoulders. 

“S-sorry… I… I was startled.”

The Imperial gave her a worried look. “Are you going to be alright?”

Katria tried to shake things off. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Let’s keep going.”

Her companion gave her a hesitant look. “If you say so… Where do we need to go next?”

She pointed up. “To the summit. Come on, this way.”

The pair walked across the collapsed pillars, slowly making their way to the bottom of the chasm. There was a ledge coming out of the water, and from there, the two headed west, walking past a dead Falmer. It appeared to have been killed by one of the Dwarven automatons, and Katria drew her weapons, urging Cadmus to do the same. They soon found a passageway with grated metal flooring and steam pipes and vents on the walls. The steam made for poor visibility, and before they knew it, the pair found themselves being ambushed by two Dwarven Spiders jumping out of the pipes. They made short work of their attackers, however, with Katria hacking at the machines with her daggers and Cadmus likewise doing the same with his sword.

Upon exiting the passageway, the two found themselves in a flooded chamber which initially seemed to have no obvious way out. The Nord woman pointed at a large pipe that crawled across the wall and connected to a ledge higher up— she had used it as a makeshift bridge to the northwestern passageway during her previous venture.

Slowly, carefully, the two made their way up the pipe, making sure to grab onto the walls so as not to slip and fall. Cadmus in particular seemed to be having difficulty keeping his footing on the narrow pipe due to his heavy armor and equally heavy physique. For a split second, Katria was genuinely worried that he might make a wrong step, slip off the pipe, fall into the deep water below and drown. Thankfully, her companion proved to have a better sense of balance than she initially thought, and soon they had made it to the next passageway.

At the end of the tunnel was an automated door that was alternately opening and closing. Just behind the door was a Dwarven machine that seemed unfamiliar to Cadmus, but was easily recognizable to Katria. She walked up to it and explained what the device was to her companion.

“See this thing? The Dwarves called them 'Kinetic Resonators'. You don’t see them very often, at least not among the clans in Skyrim. Don’t worry, it’s not going to attack us or anything.”

Cadmus took a step closer and inspected the mechanism. “It looks similar to a wind vane, but it’s far too heavy to be moved by just the wind. I’m assuming it activates if you hit it with enough force?”

Katria smiled and nodded. “That’s correct. Just hit them, and they'll do... whatever it is they're supposed to do. Kinetic Resonators can have multiple functions. This one serves as a locking mechanism. There should be another one in this room that opens the door.”

The Imperial grinned. “I’ll go find it and hit it, then.”

He made good on his promise. It didn’t take long for them to find the second Kinetic Resonator, which was standing on the opposite side of the room. Cadmus hit it with the pommel of his sword, causing the northern doors to swing open and reveal a staircase leading up.

The pair soon found themselves back in the central chamber with the chasm where they previously were, only now they were standing two or three levels higher. Katria, still a bit shaken up from earlier, tried her best not to look down. She cursed the fact that she nearly fainted just from the sight of a rock falling into the water…

The Nord woman didn’t get a chance to dwell on that thought, however. She heard a familiar clicking noise, and seeing her companion instantly go on high alert meant he must have heard it, too. They both drew their weapons, already anticipating an attack from the wretched creatures that haunted the Dwarven ruins.

Falmer.

Her first response was to freeze into place and thankfully, her companion had the same idea. She started to survey the area, trying to determine where the enemy was.

So far there was only one scout, but the pair knew that even the slightest sound would alert the other Falmer in the area and they would be overwhelmed by their numbers. Thankfully, their lack of sight was also one of the creatures’ main weaknesses. After assessing the situation, Cadmus suggested that they switch to their bows and snipe at the Falmer from afar, so as not to draw attention to themselves and also to quietly dispatch the threat. Katria agreed. The less they were involved in open combat, the better.

She was the first to take the shot. She made sure to control her breathing and not make any noise, aiming for the creature’s head. She let loose an arrow, and just like that, the projectile pierced the Falmer scout’s skull, killing it instantly.

She and Cadmus made their way through the area slowly and silently, picking off the Falmer they saw one by one. Whenever she had the opportunity, Katria looted the bodies of their fallen enemies and checked the Chaurus chitin huts and chests for gold, potions, gems or anything else that could go towards her being able to pay off her debt. She wasn’t quite sure why the Falmer kept gold coins in the first place— likely the creatures just scavenged the currency off the unfortunate adventurers who perished in the ruins. Still, it didn’t matter since even a few septims were more than enough for her.

From the central chamber, the two continued to make their way through various caves and tunnels. They kept close to the river, following it upstream until they reached a large waterfall. From there, Katria noted how the ground sloped upwards, which meant that they were going in the right direction. The deeper they went into the caverns, however, the more they saw signs of Falmer habitation. Katria sighed.

“More Falmer up ahead. Damn things are like flies… They just keep coming, no matter how many you kill.”

Cadmus nodded. “Well, it’s a good thing we have plenty of arrows.”

She had to agree with that. Still, the Falmer were only one of the many dangers that she knew were lurking in these ruins. She hadn’t yet had the chance to tell Cadmus about what awaited them at the summit. After her previous experience, she was hesitant to even think about it.

“That’s not even getting to the real danger yet…”

Her words came out sounding more ominous than she had intended, and her companion was quick to raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Real danger?”

She saw how the Imperial furrowed his brows, deep in thought. It didn’t take long for him to figure out what she meant.

“There’s something deadly waiting for us at the summit, isn’t there?”

Katria nodded. “Yes… But now isn’t the time to talk about it. We need to actually get to the top of this ruin first. You’ll understand when you see it for yourself.”

She tried to speak matter-of-factly, trying to hide her apprehension about what they were going to face. Honestly, she wasn’t looking forward to it, especially since the previous encounter resulted in her nearly falling to her death. Again, memories of the accident attempted to take hold of her mind again, but she steeled herself. Not now. The last thing she needed was to sound scared in front of Cadmus. He seemed to notice her uneasiness and, much to her surprise, he smiled at her.

“As long as you don’t offer me up as a sacrifice to whatever is up there, it’s a deal.”

She actually chuckled, trying her best to keep it down in a nest full of blind menaces with exceptional hearing. “Fair enough.”

With that settled, they kept ascending. Across precarious, slippery rocks and unstable ground, as the ruins continued to grind and shift all around them. Their progress was slow, as every step was measured and the threat of Falmer was always present. Their hands were continuously clasped around their bows and Katria thanked the Divines that the Imperial proved to be a decent shot.

They definitely needed it. The closer they got to the summit, the more numerous the Falmer became. To make matters worse, they had apparently decided to bring along their pets as well. Katria gnashed her teeth as she could hear the telltale skittering of Chaurus in the distance, and she knew then and there that they were in for a struggle.

So far, they had managed to make their way up quietly, aided by stealth and caution. However, these nasty critters could actually see and likely much better than either of them could in the dark. Even with her companion’s Candlelight spell, they still had a relatively limited field of vision and when the spell started to wear off, they were left in complete darkness for a few seconds. Cadmus was about to cast the spell again, but it was within that brief window of time that bad luck struck.

Suddenly, Katria heard the sound of rapidly beating insectoid wings. She barely had time to turn around when she felt two large, spiky pincers wrapping around her arms and before she even fully realized it, a hulking Chaurus Hunter had grabbed her from behind.

“Son of a…!”

“Katria!”

Her companion responded instantly. The Imperial drove his sword into the creature’s head, piercing one of its eyes in the process. The Chaurus Hunter was momentarily distracted, giving her enough time to pry herself out of its grasp. Her newfound freedom only lasted for a few more seconds, as the now angry Chaurus Hunter struggled against the sword and lunged for her again.

The Nord woman barely had time to think. Still clutching her bow, she thrust her arm forward to hit it in the head. A plan that miserably failed as the wretched creature opened its mouth and caught the wood in its mandibles. She could hear it crunch under the pressure, but as the thing had mercifully missed her fingers, she quickly switched to an alternative plan and drew one of her new daggers. With the speed of lightning, she drove it through the creature’s skull and with a final twist of Cadmus’s sword, the winged monstrosity finally had the decency to die. Even then, she still decided to spitefully stomp on its corpse for good measure.

The Imperial then set about freeing his sword from the chitin, casting her a glance. “Are you hurt?”

She tried to collect herself. “Ah… just a few scratches, I think. Damn it, I broke your bow… I’m sorry.”

She was genuinely upset. Not only did she nearly give away their position to the other enemies in the area, but she had gotten injured as well and the Imperial bow that Cadmus had lent her lay broken in half on the ground. It angered her. That was twice she had been caught off-guard in Arkngthamz and paid for it.

Cadmus shook his head. “I don’t care about the bow. I’m more worried about you.”

She sighed and shook her head at his chivalry. “I’ll live. But this is going to be a lot harder without a ranged weapon…”

All it took was one look at Cadmus’s face for her to see that he was thinking the same thing. He was quite good with a bow himself, but out of the two of them, she was the superior archer. Even so, she was not planning to ask him to lend her his Ebony bow. After what happened to the last one, that would be both incredibly entitled and tone-deaf.

Even so, it was clear he felt as uncomfortable just relying on her daggers as she did. She could see his mind at work, trying to find a solution that wouldn’t leave either one of them without essential weaponry. Then, without saying a word, he walked away from her and into one of the Falmer huts.

She trailed after him, wondering what he was up to, only to find him digging through one of those disgusting chitin chests. At first, she thought he was simply rummaging for loot, something she didn’t blame him for. After a few moments, however, she saw his face light up and he pulled what looked like a very crude bow from its confines.

She only got a good look at it once he walked back over to her and instantly, her face scrunched up. It was a bow, alright, but only one as could be envisioned by a blind, mutated Elven race. It was a crude contraption made of leather and Chaurus Hunter pincers, filled from top to bottom with the strange calcified warts that grew all over these creatures. Just looking at it was unpleasant and as she reached out to touch it, she was instantly filled with regret upon feeling coarse, tiny hairs and a thin layer of slime on the surface. Suddenly, she wondered if this was how Cadmus had felt when he had to help her relieve herself on the journey to Whiterun.

She sighed. “It’s not the most elegant option, but it will have to do.”

The Imperial seemed grateful that she was willing to accept his offer. After quickly tending to the wounds she sustained from the encounter with the Chaurus Hunter, the two of them resumed their journey through the Falmer settlement.

* * *

The pair soon stumbled upon another long, stony and rumbling corridor. They navigated it slowly and carefully, praying to all nine Divines and possibly some Daedra that it wouldn’t collapse. Both were relieved when it opened up into a larger open space and even more so when they saw daylight for the first time in several hours.

The sun poured in through a large hole in the ceiling and where there had previously only been stone and metal, there was now green. Grass coated fertile earth brought in by rains and winds. Fir trees and ferns reached up towards the light. Moss coated the stones and silhouettes of birds flitted across the golden glow of the sky. It would have been a welcome change, were it not for unpleasant memories coming back.

Katria sighed. “Here’s where I fell. Feels like ages ago.”

Cadmus remained quiet in response. She swore she could see him gauge the distance down to the entrance and for a second, he seemed to visibly wince. So did she. As she was staring down that chasm, she couldn’t believe that she had fallen that distance and not died on impact. By Oblivion, she couldn’t believe that she had come back from it as good as new. Maybe her luck really wasn’t all that bad, but she wasn’t going to attribute her survival to just that. More like a sliver of luck and mostly a crazy Imperial who put way too much time and effort into ensuring that she lived.

She looked across the space, trying to determine a path across the chasm. She quickly spied one, but as she gingerly put her feet on the narrow stone ridge, a sudden flicker caught her attention. Katria stopped and peered into the distance, only for her eyes to widen.

 _Zephyr_ … It couldn’t be...

“Hey, there’s my bow! There, out on the log! I wondered what happened to it!”

Overtaken by a sense of excitement, she crossed the ridge, her companion temporarily forgotten. Every step was careful and deliberate, but once she made it to the other side, she practically started running. Holding up her hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight, she approached the fallen log teetering on the edge of the abyss.

The bow, made of Dwarven metal, gleamed in the sunlight. How it had managed to land on this tree and stay there for all these months, even with the place falling apart, she didn’t know. Frankly, she didn’t care either. That bow was precious to her and she wasn’t going to question such a happy coincidence.

That moment of bliss, however, was quickly interrupted as a hand clamped around her shoulder and she found herself almost violently yanked back. Panicked, her own hand already moved to her dagger and she looked up to see the source of the threat. She was stunned to find Cadmus there, with an expression halfway between shock and fury.

“What are you doing?”

He almost yelled those words and it caused a cold shiver to go down her spine. She had never seen him like this and although his outburst seemed more motivated by fright than actual malice, it startled her. It didn’t take long for her to recover, however, and her earlier shock was quickly replaced by annoyance.

“I’m getting my bow. It’s better than what I have now and I spent a lot of resources crafting it. I’m not leaving it here to be blown into the water below.”

That answer didn’t improve his mood, but he took a deep breath and responded calmly but insistently. “The only thing keeping that trunk in place is the way it’s positioned. You walk to the end of it and it might go over the edge, taking you with it. That is, if you don’t lose your footing on that slippery-looking moss.”

Katria let out an annoyed sound, but she knew he had a point. There was a good chance that the slightest shift of weight could upset the balance that held the log in its current position. And as this was the one place where rain could enter the ruin, it was very likely that the bark could be wet. The chance of something going wrong was considerable and she could understand that Cadmus wasn’t looking forward to another emergency trip to Dushnikh Yal and Whiterun.

Still, she couldn’t think of any other way to get to it. Leaving it behind wasn’t an option either, as the bow meant a lot to her and she couldn’t bear to part with it again. Besides, if it was dangerous for her to retrieve it, then she couldn’t imagine Cadmus, several inches taller and possibly twice her weight plus heavy armor, even standing a chance. He was a big man, not as tall as Nord men could get and nowhere near an Altmer’s height, but still towering at least a few inches over most humans they came across. Additionally, he was built like an Orc in their prime, his body made of pure muscle and his frame broad and burly, even without any heavy armor to expand that bulk— as she had found out in Breezehome upon seeing him out of his armor for the first time on the morning before they left for Markarth. He was guaranteed to tip that log over, compared to her.

She looked back at the bow and then at him. “Well, what would you propose? I’d really like to have it back.”

He thought for a second, before perking up. “Do you mind if I try something?”

Not having anything to lose, Katria simply shrugged. The Imperial took this as a cue to walk away from her, but rather than moving towards the tree trunk, he moved to the right of it. He approached the very edge of the chasm, standing at an angle of the log and directly facing the bow. He then crouched down and reached out his right hand.

Confused, she watched how his entire body seemed to tense, his face lined with concentration. She had no idea what on Nirn he was trying to achieve, seemingly grasping for the bow while there were still several feet of thin air between him and the weapon. Still, she decided to humor him for a bit.

Then, out of nowhere, the bow started to twitch violently. She jerked, thinking for a moment that the tremors of the sinking ruin were moving it and it might fall. Yet the moment she took a step closer, the weapon seemed to practically leap off the log. As if jerked by some unseen force, it sped away, crossing the empty space below, before making its way into her companion’s outstretched hand.

All of it happened so suddenly that she could only blink in confusion and it took her several seconds to realize what had actually happened. “You know a Telekinesis spell?”

He nodded as he walked over with her bow. “Yes. It took me a while to learn though, but I figured it might be handy.”

Katria grinned, happily taking the weapon from him when he offered it to her. She then proceeded to take the disgusting Falmer bow off her back, before casually chucking it down into the abyss below. That actually earned her a smirk on his part and with that, they proceeded to move up to the path a few feet above them.

Soon they approached an even larger open area with the imposing remains of Dwemer architecture standing in the middle. It was the facade of the Arkngthamz Treasury, with five Kinetic Resonators arranged around a giant Dwarven head statue.

The place where all of her trouble began two months ago…

Next to her, Cadmus seemed to admire the architecture. Even so, he was cautious. Smart man. What was coming up next required all the caution in the world, lest there’d be two broken bodies at the foot of Arkngthamz this time.

She stepped up next to him, catching his attention by pointing at the structure.

“Here it is. You know what this is? It's a lock. A 'Tonal Lock'. Simple, and very, very deadly. See the Resonators up there? Each one emits a unique tone when hit. If we strike them in the right order and play the correct sequence of tones, the doors to the treasury room should open. If we get it wrong, however… Well, you’ve seen what happened when I tried it.”

Instantly, the Imperial snapped his head in her direction, an incredulous look on his face. “You mean… the earthquake? _This_ caused the earthquake?”

She let out a painful sigh, her mistake still fresh in her mind. “Yeah… I thought I was prepared for anything. How can you prepare for a damned earthquake? And that was just one trap…”

There was a short silence. Cadmus just stood, seemingly processing their absurd and dangerous situation. For a moment, she was absolutely certain he was going to throw his hands up, declare all of this folly and then walk away to let her deal with it by herself.

Much to her surprise, however, he recovered and his tone was calm and business-like. “So we need to figure out the correct combination then.”

Katria quickly rummaged through her knapsack and took out her journal. “I got the first two Resonators correctly last time, so we can start there, at least.”

Cadmus nodded. “Alright. I’ll have a look around. See if I can find some clues.”

The Imperial went to check some of the skeletons and corpses lying around, while Katria surveyed the area to figure out what other potential traps were present. The first things she noticed were the ballistae. Those had already given her trouble when she hit the wrong Resonator last time. The second obvious trap was the giant Dwarven Centurion that was locked behind a gate. Part of her was thankful that she didn’t have to deal with the deadly automaton herself, but at the same time she wondered if things would have turned out differently had she triggered that trap instead of the one that caused the earthquake.

After a few minutes, Cadmus came back to her, carrying a scrap of paper. “I found a note on a dead adventurer. It has some numbers scribbled on it and the positions match with the placement of the Resonators. Can I compare it with your notes?”

She nodded and held her journal to the side for him to read. “Alright. I’ve got some sketches in there of the Tonal Lock too if that helps.”

As the Imperial read her journal, sudden snort was his response. Considering it very inappropriate, she looked up at him and found him grinning as he pointed to the drawings next to her notes.

“You call those sketches? Most detailed ‘sketches’ I ever saw… You draw better than the landscape painters in Anvil!”

Maybe it was just an offhand comment to diffuse the tense situation, but Katria couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. She held up the book to him and she saw how he compared it to the chicken scratches on the paper. He looked up at the Resonators.

“I think we can confirm that we know the sequence of the first three. The paper confirms the order of the second and third. You managed to confirm the first and second.”

She nodded. “I know the lower middle one is not the third. So the scrap might be correct. But that still leaves two Resonators undecided.”

Her companion thought for a moment. “If only we knew which Resonator he hit afterwards, that would be easy enough. But that is the problem, really. You only have time to write down correct and incorrect options if you survive the trap.”

He looked like he was about to say more, only to trail off. “Katria, do you still remember the last Resonator you hit?”

Immediately, she pointed. “Upper right one. That one triggered the earthquake.”

He absorbed this information. “And what were the traps you triggered before that?”

Even a few months later, she could effortlessly recall that. “Dwarven Spiders, Spheres, and the ballistae. I was lucky enough to not trigger that damned Centurion, though. Why do you ask?”

Again, she saw the gears in his head turn. “In that particular order?”

Then it clicked. “Yes. You think there’s a correlation between the Resonator and the traps it triggers? Or the order in which you hit the Resonators and the severity of the traps?”

He nodded. “Possibly. The more mistakes you make, the bigger the repercussions for failure. Then the system resets once you leave it alone for a while. But that’s just me guessing.”

She had to admit it was a good guess, but still. “What could potentially be more deadly than an earthquake, though?”

Cadmus shrugged. “Summoning a Daedric Prince? Filling the entire place with poisonous gas? Awakening a dragon, maybe?”

It came out so casually that Katria could only muster a wry smile. “You must’ve been in a lot of interesting places…”

There was a short silence between them as they stared at the Resonators. It started to get on her nerves somewhat. While she was very grateful that the Imperial was proving to be smart and cautious rather than hitting everything with a sword, it was clear that they couldn’t exactly reason their way out of this problem. There were only two Resonators left in the sequence, but there was no real way of figuring out which one came first. The only way to be certain was to shoot an arrow at them and pray the consequences wouldn’t kill them.

She turned to him. “So, what do you think?”

“Well, we know one to three. The one you hit caused an earthquake. Provided there are traps worse than that, I would say the one you hit is the fourth. That leaves the lower one in the middle as the fifth and last one. But again, I’m basing that on circumstantial evidence.”

She took a deep breath. “Well, one way to find out.”

He confirmed that, with the same nervous resignation as her. He grabbed his bow off his back and she did the same with Zephyr. Cadmus aimed his bow at the first Resonator in the sequence and released an arrow. It found its mark and they were met by the lock clicking into place, followed by the tolling of bells. Katria let loose an arrow of her own and hit the second target. With each Resonator the two of them hit correctly, the sound of the bells changed in pitch. They were on the right track, but after correctly hitting the third target, then came the hard part.

The Nord aimed her bow towards what they assumed to be the fourth Resonator. But as she focused her arrow on the mechanism, she found herself hesitating. Suddenly, the events of the past few months came back to her once more. The chaos, fear and panic, as well as the realization that what happened to her previously could happen all over again. And maybe this time, Cadmus wouldn’t be there to save her in the nick of time. Worse, he might be dead as well because of her mistake.

Her grip on her weapon faltered and she lowered it without thinking. She locked eyes with her companion, expecting him to be annoyed at her indecisiveness. The look she received in return, however, was simply one of quiet understanding. He moved towards her and without saying a word, he took a deep breath, raised his own bow and shot the Resonator.

The few seconds that followed almost seemed to last a lifetime. She watched how the arrow sped towards its target, yet the time it took to actually hit the metal was agonizing. She could only watch while holding her breath, almost wishing it’d miss its target and any potential disaster would be averted.

But the arrow hit, bouncing off the Dwarven metal with a soft thud, one that was instantly drowned out by a loud chime as the Resonator sped up the bar and clicked into place.

Almost immediately, a huge sense of relief came over her. She looked the sight over, several more times, trying to convince herself that she was seeing it correctly, only for a huge smile to break across her face. Her companion’s guess turned out to be correct. That meant that the last Resonator was the one in the middle.

Cadmus clearly picked up on her relief and stepped back, motioning towards the last Resonator. “You do the honors.”

It was all she needed. Feeling a whole lot better and much more confident, she quite happily aimed for the only remaining part of the Tonal Lock and released the arrow. She got it on the first try. The Dwarven head started emitting steam and the ground trembled for a brief moment, as the large metal gates to the treasury opened with a grinding noise.

"Got it!”

The sight of their success became too much for a moment and without thinking, she sped forward. Her anticipation got the better of her and without fully realizing it, she started sprinting towards the now open treasury chamber. She almost forgot Cadmus was there until she heard the sound of him hurriedly trudging after her, trying to keep up. She slowed her pace a little, but still kept moving as she practically threw herself past the gates, running through the corridors to finally get to the goal she had previously been denied.

The corridor soon reached a dead end, but she hardly cared. There, amidst chests and metal shelving, she saw it. On a small pedestal, there lay a piece of perfectly shaped light blue crystal, unlike any she had ever seen before. She knew it could only be one thing.

_Aetherium._

Carefully, she picked up the artifact. The crystal had a curious bluish-white glow and holding it in her hands felt odd, as if it was vibrating ever so slightly.

“So, it is real…”

By now, the Imperial had caught up with her and gave her a curious look upon spying the item in her hands. “What? What is this?”

She held it up to him. “Look on the edge here. This has been cut, precisely cut. If you had another piece, about the same size, it would… it would snap right in. I saw a drawing of this once. This shard… it's… it's part of a key. A key made of pure Aetherium! The key to the Forge!”

She could barely contain her excitement. Finally, after all these years… After all this time… After nearly dying in the attempt, she could see her work pay off. Aetherium, real Aetherium… and now, an actual, concrete clue to the mythical Forge. She could hardly believe it herself.

Cadmus sensed her excitement. “So... what now?”

Katria was about to answer him, only to suddenly fall silent. What now indeed? Traveling through most of Skyrim, no doubt, trying to track down the other pieces of this key and just praying they had not been stolen by unwitting bandits or adventurers, who likely had no idea of the shards’ worth. Then, pinpointing the exact location of this Forge and hoping there wasn’t an earthquake ruining their day this time.

That was a lot… and it was too much to ask of the man who’d saved her from certain death just because he could.

An uneasy feeling settled in Katria’s stomach. She had been immensely grateful for Cadmus’s help and she had thoroughly enjoyed his company, but now it was clear that the journey was far from over and there was still much that needed to be done. And while she was perfectly willing to travel across the province to hunt for the remaining Aetherium Shards, she felt that it would be incredibly entitled of her to force Cadmus to go along with her and keep him away from his family and other responsibilities for an indefinite period of time…

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately made a decision.

“Well, I… I think this is where we part ways.”

Her companion fell silent for a moment, but when he responded, he sounded terse and almost dejected. “Why?”

That was a little easier to answer. “Because you’ve already done a lot. Too much, really. Way more than I deserve. This… this is going to be a lot of work. And I’m already deeply indebted to you. I can’t ask you to put your life on hold to go all over Skyrim with me for this endeavor. I think I’ve kept you away from your daughters long enough.”

Cadmus looked like he was about to respond, but she quickly interrupted him. She opened her knapsack again and took out some of the gold and gems she’d scavenged as they made their way through the ruin.

“I can give you my part of the loot right now. It should cover most of what I still owe you for my care, if not all of it. But I don’t want you to risk your life for me any further.”

He let out a frustrated noise. “This isn’t about money, Katria. You don’t owe me anything. I didn’t pay for your recovery in order to be paid back. I helped because you needed it. And I came with you because I wanted to.”

It caught her off guard, more than she wanted to admit. After getting to know and spending time with her new acquaintance, she now knew that he was genuinely a kind, trustworthy, and even somewhat selfless person. Still, nothing was ever fully for free, not where she came from. She couldn’t imagine that, after all of this, he would be willing to risk his life to help her on this perilous quest. After all, losing her life’s work wasn’t _his_ problem, so why make it his business?

So she asked exactly that. “Why?”

He shrugged, almost as if the answer should be obvious to her. “Because a long-lost magical crystal and a special forge to smelt it sounds interesting to me. The history of Tamriel fascinates me. It sounds like something worth investigating and not just reading about. I like books, but I like seeing things with my own eyes even better. Besides, I like to help people whenever I can, and also because, well… I enjoy the company.”

Katria caught herself blinking at him. That was it? Something that simple? He was perfectly willing to follow her into dangerous ruins and countless traps, because it seemed like an interesting way to spend his time? Because he liked history? Once more, she was not entirely certain whether he was incredibly brave or thoroughly insane. Then again, this was the man who got his position as Thane by killing a dragon. And who strolled into Arkngthamz simply because he had read a book on the subject. Even so, there was still another matter that she felt she had to bring up.

“Don’t you have to return to Solitude, though?”

He nodded. “In a week. But I think that gives us plenty of time to carry out whatever else needs to be done. At the very least, within The Reach. I’m assuming this is just one piece of the key to the Aetherium Forge and there are still others to be found, correct?”

She nodded. “Yes… There should be, hmm… three more. One for each of the four cities that worked on the Forge.”

“Alright. Then we should focus on finding those other three Shards.”

“Cadmus… You’re… You’re sure you still want to do this?”

He smiled broadly and gestured towards his face. “Does this look unsure to you?”

There it was. That smile again.

Honestly, she couldn’t help but giggle. It had been a very long time since she’d last met someone who was this willing to help her, and for nothing in return. It was honestly quite touching, especially after all the terrible things that had happened to her in the past year. Perhaps inwardly, Katria was relieved that Cadmus would still be accompanying her on this quest. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was just something about this man that made her feel comfortable and at ease. A good trait to have in a companion, especially if the two of them were going to see all of this through together.

She grabbed her journal again and flipped through it, eventually landing on a page where she had drawn a simple map of Skyrim and marked the rough locations of each Dwemer city that was associated with the Aetherium Forge.

“I drew a map. Here’s where we should start. From here, the next ruin is a place called ‘Bthar-zel’, or ‘Allied City’... Not Bthardamz, though. But judging by the name, it shouldn’t be too far off.”

The Imperial nodded. “That’s northeast of Markarth. That should be manageable enough. And what happens after we find all the Shards?”

She rubbed her chin in thought. “We still have to find the Forge itself. I’ve got a lead on that, too. There's so much to do, but…”

She found her thoughts trailing off again and took a deep breath, trying to contain herself. “For the first time in a long while, I think I— _we_ — may actually be able to do this. And... and I owe it all to you, Cadmus. Thank you."

Cadmus simply accepted it with a small smile, almost as if he hardly considered all this worthy of thanks at all. If anything, he seemed far more excited to actually be going on this quest, and it seemed his mind was already making preparations while hers was running wild. He turned to rummage in the chests in the chamber, pulling a gold diamond ring out of and showing it to her.

“We should sell any of the items we don’t need. We can use the gold for food, supplies and lodging. Might as well make this trip as comfortable as possible for the both of us. Though we should preserve any artifacts that might be interesting for scholarly reasons, too.”

The Nord quietly, and happily, agreed to that. Setting money aside for this expedition sounded like the sensible thing and this was perhaps the first time she had that luxury. Besides, after so many nights of camping in the cold and rain, she wouldn’t mind not having to scrape by for once. Also, it would be nice to travel with someone who not only knew how to use a sword, but also didn’t use it to hit everything he came across, for a change.

With that settled, she started scavenging as well. “There’s an inn east of here. We can stay the night there and then head northwest to the location of the second shard in the morning.”

Her companion responded cheerfully. “Perfect. So let’s take what we can here and head over. I don’t know about you, but I can use a hot meal. And a bath. Tonal Locks seem to come with a lot of nervous sweating, it seems.”

Katria chuckled. “That and dealing with the general filth of the ruins. And not to mention the Falmer and Chaurus…”

Nothing more needed to be said thereafter. The both of them grabbed what they could carry and before long, they found themselves outside again. The second time she exited the ruins again since her accident and this time, she was alive and well. That gave her some encouragement. Perhaps things were going to work out this time…

The sun was already setting by the time they had left the ruins of Arkngthamz. Katria was a little surprised that they’d spent that much time in there, but that mattered little since the expedition was worth it. They now had an actual piece of Aetherium and were one step closer to finding the Forge.

And so off the two of them went. As they walked, Katria glanced at Cadmus, thankful that this endeavor wasn’t just hers to carry out alone anymore. For the longest time, she’d felt nothing but anxiety and desperation when she first undertook this quest.

But now, she felt something else entirely. Optimism. Hope.

She and her companion would make the discovery of a lifetime. 

They were going to find the Aetherium Forge. Together.


	6. A Night at Old Hroldan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ritual described in this chapter is based on the supposed Viking ceremony for creating blood brothers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_brother

“Ah, a visitor. Welcome. Old Hroldan Inn has hundreds of years of history, my friend.”

Cadmus simply smiled and nodded as the innkeeper’s words greeted him. He held the door open for Katria, allowing her to slip into the comfortable warm space as well. The smell of food and burning wood was heavy in the air and already, he found his mouth watering.

The journey here had taken a little longer than expected. On the road to the inn, they had stumbled upon the Khajiit caravan run by his acquaintance Ri’saad. Since they were loaded with goods to trade, he’d figured this was as good a time as any to convert some weight into coins and get some more useful supplies as well.

Katria had not been quite as trusting and seemed practically stunned as he addressed them by name and they responded in kind. The only Khajiit she’d ever met, she told him, was a lone traveler on the road, who told her many strange things before saying he was tired and that she should go bother someone else. She was certain that one was hitting the skooma, but Cadmus told her these Khajiit were not like that. He had assured her they were to be trusted and he had dealt with them before. Thankfully, she had warmed to them after a bit, selling her superfluous wares and gaining some useful items in the process. Afterwards, they parted ways again and the Nord woman had asked him how in the world he had managed to strike up such a good rapport with traveling merchants from Elsweyr.

He told her the truth, that he had helped them out in the past, and she joked that helping people with their troubles was likely his second job by now. He simply laughed at that. That was kind of the truth and even he was sometimes baffled by how many useful people he knew in Skyrim just because he stopped and tried to make their day a little easier.

The pair plopped down at one of the tables and the innkeeper’s help, an Imperial named Leontius, immediately came up to ask what they wanted to have. They both settled for some freshly caught salmon, bread and buttered cabbage with ale. Soon, the two of them were happily enjoying a well-earned meal after their earlier exploration and as they discussed their findings at Arkngthamz, Cadmus couldn’t help but ask the question that had been on his mind ever since their evening at The Bannered Mare.

“So, you mentioned that you’ve been doing this for twenty years now… If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly did you become a Dwemer scholar?”

Katria looked up from her food and sighed. “It’s a long story… You probably wouldn’t be interested in hearing it.”

Cadmus smiled at her. “I don’t mind. I like listening to a good long story.”

The Nord woman shrugged as she smiled back. 

“Alright, then. I guess it all started when I was just a little girl. I grew up in one of the small mining towns in The Reach. Both parents were impoverished silver miners, had too many children to feed, you know how it goes… I was the middle child, and I guess I was the black sheep among my siblings. I liked to read a lot of books, which my parents thought were an unnecessary luxury. I had these really old copies of the _Dwemer Inquiries_ by Thelwe Gelein… Those were honestly my favorite books. I must’ve re-read them over twenty times. Sure, some of the words used were too big for me to understand at the time, but I just really liked learning about Dwemer civilization. I liked to imagine what their cities and machines looked like. You could say it was a way for me to escape from reality.”

He pressed further, but took care not to ask any tactless questions, seeing how her upbringing seemed to be a sensitive topic. 

“I take it your home life was not the best?”

She shook her head. “My mother would beat me for ‘having my head in the clouds and not working’. My father used up the little money we had on alcohol and skooma. He already had a nasty temper to begin with, but the skooma turned him into a monster. He would beat my mother and my older brothers over the slightest things, too. Most nights, I couldn’t even fall asleep because of all the shouting and crying. So no, I didn’t exactly have a very happy home life.”

She drank a bit of her ale, then continued her story.

“Then, when I was seventeen, I decided I’d had enough. I ran away with Ragnvald— he was my lover at the time— and we just went wherever the road took us. We didn’t really have a plan, but we needed money, and then… that’s when we got involved with a gang of bandits. They tried to rob us, but we literally had nothing but the clothes on our backs. Ragnvald pleaded with their leader not to kill us, and he was desperate enough to say that we would even be willing to help them. I was scared and desperate myself, so I went along with it. And before I knew it, we had become the newest members of their gang.”

He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “You were a bandit once?”

She sighed. “I’m not proud of it. We were dumb, scared teenagers. We did what we had to do to survive, even if it involved doing awful things. And before you ask, no, I _never_ robbed or killed an innocent person.”

“What did you do for the bandits, then?”

“You know when you come across an injured woman on the road, but it turns out to be an ambush?”

“Ah.”

Katria took another sip of her drink. “Yeah, that was my job. I had no choice but to keep doing that for almost three months. Initially we were planning to just save up enough gold and then run away in the middle of the night. But Ragnvald, he… he began to change. At first he would just loot the corpses that the bandits left behind, but then he started to threaten and rob people himself. He… started to kill. We grew apart and eventually we had a falling out. I wanted to leave the bandits, but then our hideout got raided by a squad of Hold guards and Ragnvald went and got himself killed.”

“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I was pretty torn up about it at the time, too. But looking back at things now, well… Honestly, he was kind of an idiot. And to think, I thought I was madly in love with him when I was seventeen. Funny, isn’t it? Anyway, I knew that I had to get myself out of that situation and was already planning my escape. But thanks to the run-in with the guards, the bandits had to retreat to an old ruin. A Dwemer ruin. It was the first time I’d seen one in my life.”

She ate a piece of salmon and bread, then washed it down with some more ale.

“The bandits were only interested in looting the place, of course. But me? I was over the moon with excitement! I had a chance to see the remains of Dwarven architecture and machinery up close. Suddenly my mind went back to all the times I read those books as a child and I realized… that there was still a chance for me to pursue my dream.”

Cadmus leaned in closer, listening with utmost interest. “What did you do next?”

“Well… I finally mustered the courage to do what I’d been planning to do for months. I ran away. I grabbed my notes, the few belongings I had and whatever Dwemer artifacts I could easily carry with me. Made it to the outskirts of Markarth in a few hours. Once I was inside the city, I knew that I was exactly where I needed to be. I asked around and learned that there was actually a Dwemer ruin underneath the city itself!”

“You mean Nchuand-Zel?”

Katria instantly perked up. “Yes, exactly! I met a Breton scholar named Staubin there. He was actually taking his students on a field trip to the ruins that day, but they didn’t have enough guards to go with them. Well, seeing how I’d spent nearly three months with a gang of bandits, I picked up some fighting skills myself. So I introduced myself and offered to be a bodyguard for the group. They didn’t take me seriously at first, but luckily all it took was me getting rid of some spiders to change their minds.”

The Imperial snickered. He remembered how he had to do something similar himself several months ago when he first came to visit the Dwemer Museum in Markarth.

“Hopefully you didn’t just get rid of spiders during the entire trip.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “Thankfully, no. I showed Staubin some of the artifacts I found previously and asked if I could help with the dig. Luckily, he agreed to that, too. Free manpower at no extra cost, after all. We didn’t go into the deeper parts of Nchuand-Zel since it was too dangerous, but that became my first proper expedition… You know, where I was actually digging up the artifacts to study them.”

Now in high spirits, Katria downed some more ale and continued.

“Staubin was impressed with what I’d dug up. He asked me how much I knew about the Dwemer civilization. I pretty much recited entire passages from the _Dwemer Inquiries_ since I knew them by heart at this point. Then he asked if I could continue to be a bodyguard for future expeditions around The Reach. A few months later, he took me in as one of his students. I still remember that day clearly. 12th of Second Seed. Best eighteenth birthday gift I could ever ask for.”

Cadmus couldn’t help but smile seeing Katria be genuinely happy and enthusiastic as she recounted all the expeditions she’d been on for the past two decades. Even though she occasionally got carried away and started throwing around names and terminologies that were unfamiliar to the common person, it was clear this woman was deeply passionate about her research. And while it was heartwarming to listen to her tell tales of her adventures and discoveries, it also made it all the more bitter that her own apprentice had stolen her life’s work and she very nearly could have died in obscurity had he not found her in time…

It also pained him to realize that he had heard the name “Staubin” before and that he was one of the dead scholars he had found during his own ventures into Nchuand-Zel. He felt he should break the news to her and when he did, as gently as possible, he could see her face fall. No doubt it pained her deeply to lose her mentor and one of the few people who had believed in her. He comforted her the best he could, though she pulled herself together rather quickly, saying she took comfort in the fact that he at least died doing what he loved. Cadmus tenuously agreed to that and instead encouraged her to tell more of the good times they had, to honor the man’s memory.

When she had finished recounting her stories, Katria turned towards him.“So, what about you? I know you’re an adventurer and a Legate in the Imperial Legion, but what brought you to Skyrim?”

The Imperial laughed. “Trouble, mostly. I found myself back in Cyrodiil, in the city of Bruma, after traveling all over Tamriel for the last nine years. It’s not a good place to be right now and most of the big cities are still warzones. Bruma survived the Great War relatively well, but the city ended up being a nest of corruption, squeezed to death between greedy warlords, criminal networks and a corrupt army.”

Katria wrinkled her nose. “That sounds like a party.”

Cadmus grimaced at the memory. “You have no idea. Either way, I found myself involved when I was called upon by General Caecus, the new governor of the city. He remembered me from my time in the Imperial Legion and asked me to help sort out the mess.”

His companion took another sip of her drink. “And knowing you, that’s exactly what you did.”

He sighed. “Unfortunately. And unfortunately for Caecus, I didn’t just do my job. As I worked my way through raiding safehouses and hideouts, I started to realize Caecus wasn’t exactly lily-white either. The man seemed to have an interesting past with many of the forces he wanted to be rid of. In the end, it was clear that he didn’t so much want to save Bruma as claim it as his own little fiefdom. He just wanted me to get rid of the competition. I figured I should not leave the city in his hands.”

Katria’s eyes grew wide. “You killed him?”

He snorted a little. “I wish I did, but no. I made sure there were others to take his place, well-established families with a long history of investing in the city. Then I made certain he was exposed and he got run out of town. The man even lost his position in the army because of me. It seemed like the better alternative. One that would avoid creating a martyr. Unfortunately, Caecus was the type of man to hold a grudge. I made some friends in the city and they informed me the ex-governor of Bruma was planning to send the Dark Brotherhood after me. I got out of Cyrodiil as fast as I could. But that meant having to illegally cross the border into Skyrim.”

His companion gave him a look. “That must have been quite the undertaking. So, he didn’t come after you? Him or the Brotherhood?”

He shook his head. “He tried to take control of Bruma again soon after and got torn apart by an angry mob. As for the Dark Brotherhood… well, I’m quite certain they won’t come for me anymore…”

She showed a furrowed brow in response, but thankfully didn’t ask any further. “So, you came to Skyrim after that. What happened next?”

The involuntary chuckle he let out was a joyless one. “I almost didn’t make it. I was arrested on suspicion of being a Stormcloak rebel. I made the mistake of entering the province near the battle that saw Ulfric captured. And since I was dressed as a commoner, they probably figured I was a spy or scout. I was carted off to Helgen with the other prisoners. My head was literally on the block when Ald— when a dragon appeared and attacked.”

The Nord woman’s eyes widened even more. “You were at Helgen when the dragon attacked?”

Even now, the memory sounded utterly insane, even to him. “Yes. I barely made it out of there alive. Either I would’ve been beheaded, or burnt to a crisp.”

He stopped for a moment to eat a few more bites of his salmon and cabbage. He figured that concluded their exchanges of past regrets and near-death situations for now, when Katria suddenly piped up.

“Wait, how is it that you almost ended up getting executed in the first place? Clearly the soldiers made a mistake in arresting you. Why didn’t you just explain that you were with the Legion yourself?”

Once again, Cadmus found himself realizing just how utterly insane his life had become this past decade. “Well, I wasn’t anymore. Not at the time. It’s… complicated.”

For a second, he hoped that would deter her, but she simply shrugged. “Well, we have time. You listened to my story, let me hear yours.”

“Fair enough. I grew up in the Imperial City, in what was formerly known as the Talos Plaza district. Well, I grew up there for the most part, anyway— we fled to the countryside for a few years during and after the Great War, but returned by the time I was ten. I was the middle child in a family of Nibenese nobles, with all the troubles that typically ensue from both those conditions.”

As a fellow middle child, and no doubt familiar with jokes about Imperials and their proclaimed cosmopolitan nature, Katria actually laughed at that and he continued.

“Don’t get me wrong, my parents are not terrible people. They tried their best and gave me a good home growing up. But in a family of politicians, merchants and diplomats, I was the odd one out. I love learning as much as any traditional Imperial, but I was more of a brawler and adventurer. My parents wanted me to follow in my father and older brothers’ footsteps and become a senator. They had very specific ideas about what I should be, but so did I. And they figured that the best way to knock those ideas out of me was to sign me up for the army when I was fifteen.”

The smirk she gave him was practically a mile wide. “Ah yes, let’s put the teenager who likes hitting things and seeing new places in a situation where he can do both. Surely that will make him see the error of his ways.”

Now it was his turn to laugh. “Pretty much. Though in retrospect, I can see where they were coming from. They lived through the War. They saw the Thalmor slaughter their neighbors, friends and family. They kind of hoped I would fail basic training. That experiencing death and harshness in the Legion would mellow me out and make me come back into the fold. It didn’t. So now they had a son who was in the army. Everyone knows the White-Gold Concordat won’t hold forever and when it’d be breached, well, one of their children would be on the frontlines.”

He couldn’t quite discern the look on Katria’s face. Perhaps, she was genuinely trying to imagine the situation on all sides. Who knew? After all, judging by what she had just told him, there was little love lost between her and her own parents. For all their faults, he at least knew his mother and father had genuinely loved him in their own way.

However, she seemed to push it aside. “Is that why you left the Legion?”

This was where he could feel old bitterness and resentment come back in, and his response sounded harsher than he had intended it to be. 

“I didn’t _leave_. My family pulled strings to get me honorably discharged against my will. I was twenty-five at the time, recently promoted to Centurion in the Legion. And then, just like that, everything I spent ten years working for went up in smoke.”

The look on Katria’s face spoke volumes. Though she remained silent, it seemed she was starting to better understand why he was so willing to help her on her quest.

He sighed heavily. “That is just it, you know. I can understand that my parents were worried. That they wanted to keep me safe. That they missed me and wanted me to come home. But I chose to stay in the Legion. This wasn’t their decision to make anymore. And the worst part? When I came home and confronted them about it, they acted like I was a petulant child. Like I would forget about it after a good night’s sleep and be grateful in the end. Ten years of a military career and countless milestones reached, and they acted like it was just a long game of pretend that they regretfully had to snap me out of…”

He took a swig of his ale. “It was there I realized that no matter how hard I worked, no matter how much I achieved, they would never respect my choices as long as it didn’t line up with theirs. And that they had every chance to uproot my life again if I did something they didn’t like. So I grabbed my things and left Cyrodiil that same night. That was ten years ago now…”

Honestly, that last part was said more to himself than to her. Even now, it kind of surprised him how angry he still felt about what happened. One would think that after all this time, the sting of it would wear off...

He didn’t get to mull on that thought for long, however, as Katria seemed to look him over in astonishment. “Wait, you’re only thirty-five years old?”

Despite himself, Cadmus found he had to snicker. He had gotten that a lot. It was true that he looked older than he actually was. No one would think he was especially old, as his hair was not yet turning grey and he still had all his teeth. But a lifetime of fighting left its marks. There were deep lines in his forehead and around his eyes, as well as an impressive collection of scars on his face, particularly on his left cheek. He had cauliflower ears and his nose had been broken one too many times. His skin was similarly a collection of scar tissue, spots and coarseness, brought on by disease, extreme temperatures, or blows of weapons or magic that never quite healed correctly. So while it was a little out of nowhere, his companion’s question didn’t surprise him.

He grinned. “Yeah, I look quite battered, I know.”

She shook her head, reacting almost in embarrassment. “No, I didn’t mean it like that! You are not exactly unpleasant to look at. Maybe a little bit banged up, sure, but more in a ruggedly handsome kind of way, you know? At least, that’s what I think…”

Her last comment caught him off-guard. “Hmm?”

That caused her to fall silent for a moment, only to quickly change course. “Anyway… I just figured you were older than me. But I guess a hard life has a way of aging people, doesn’t it?”

He could only quietly agree with that and she mercifully decided to change the subject somewhat. “So how is it that you’re a Legate now? I mean, you got honorably discharged in Cyrodiil.”

Those memories, he had to admit, were a lot more pleasant. “I escaped from Helgen thanks to a young Legionnaire named Hadvar. We stayed at his uncle’s house in Riverwood for a while, and he suggested that I go to Solitude and enlist in the Legion. I figured, why not? The Thalmor are not leaving this place as long as Skyrim is fighting itself. So I re-enlisted without telling them my family name and I guess they were desperate enough for manpower that they didn’t look into it.”

“And what about your previous rank?”

“I re-enlisted as an Auxiliary. Had to start all over again, but that didn’t matter. I cared more for the cause than gaining prestige. And then I worked my way up to Legate.”

Again, Katria looked him up and down and for a moment, he wondered if she was going to say he was full of it. He wouldn’t blame her if she did. If he’d see his own story written in a novel, he would declare it a terrible read.

Her response, however, was unexpected. “So they never caught on that you knew entirely too well what you were doing?”

Instantly, his mind went back to one of the more embarrassing episodes of his military career in Skyrim. “Not for a while, no. I was fine with that. I guess they were just glad that things were going well. But as we celebrated after the Battle for Fort Dunstad, well, my cover got blown, so to speak…”

By now, she was leaning in with interest and for a moment, he felt she was way too interested in the unnecessary drama of his life. “How so?”

“Turns out there was someone there I knew. Captain Hafthor Bear-Kin, one of my commanding officers back in Cyrodiil. He’d come in with some reinforcements and unfortunately, he recognized me. Made a scene and asked General Tullius whether I had been demoted, as I was a Centurion under his command, not a Praefect. The whole thing led to a very embarrassing private meeting with General Tullius, with many unnecessary apologies and offers of giving me my previous rank back. I told him that it wouldn’t be necessary, as I planned to earn it back. Though he was nice enough to declare my discharge void and issue an order that any appeals from my family were to be ignored.”

He saw how his companion smiled at him. “So some good came out of it. At least all the hard work you did over the years wasn’t completely wasted.”

Cadmus nodded and returned the smile. “I suppose. And we’re going to make sure the same happens for you.”

She seemed to appreciate that. “I hope so. Thank you, Cadmus.”

For a split second, his gaze met hers. After exchanging stories, Cadmus felt like he knew his companion a little better now, and was even more determined to help her carry out this endeavor. And so the pair continued to enjoy dinner in each other’s company, exchanging more stories about their lives prior to that chance meeting in Arkngthamz. The conversation soon turned to more lighthearted topics, and as he recounted the events of that one time when he got blackout drunk and almost got married to a Hagraven, Katria simply couldn’t resist and burst out laughing.

It was then that Cadmus realized that he quite liked how she looked when she smiled. In fact, she was a very beautiful woman in general. She was tall and muscular, with strong, fine facial features, almost to the point he suspected there might be a few Colovian Imperials in her ancestry as well. He would have definitely considered approaching her had they met under different circumstances, but as it was, their current arrangement was purely business.

As such, in order to pull his mind back to more pressing matters, he looked around the inn. They must have lost track of the time since, when he looked around, he realized that he and Katria no longer had the inn all to themselves. A traveling bard had temporarily set up shop in the common area near the hearth, and a group of what looked like some wandering adventurers were gathered around him. All of them looked weary and desperate for a rest. They were probably looking for a room as much as he and his companion were, which meant that they had to move to secure one of their own.

Katria seemed to catch on and quickly ate the last of her meal before standing up. “Anyway, it’s getting late. How about a bath and then some sleep?”

Never had anyone said anything he wanted to hear more. He finished up his food as well and the two of them went up to the counter to arrange lodging. The innkeeper, a cheerful blonde Nord woman who introduced herself as Eydis, greeted them warmly.

“Well, good evening. Did you enjoy your meal? Is there anything else I can do for you?”

The Imperial nodded. “Yes, we’d like to rent a bath and also two rooms for the night, please.”

“Ah… I’m afraid those travelers who just came in beat you to the punch. All the other rooms have been booked for the night, save for one. Perhaps you’d be interested in renting Tiber Septim’s room?”

He raised an eyebrow. “ _Tiber Septim’s room_?”

The innkeeper smiled and nodded.“That's right. In the Second Era, Tiber Septim himself led the army that conquered Old Hroldan from the barbarians of The Reach. Septim would of course later found the Empire that united Tamriel, but his first known battle and victory was right here. And this inn has the very bed the great general slept in on his first night as Old Hroldan's liberator. As good as it was hundreds of years ago!”

Cadmus fought hard not to roll his eyes. He was used to old inns and their attempts at historical appeal. Throughout his life, he had heard all about how he’d sat in the chair of Queen Potema, used the same bath as Ysgramor, ate with the cutlery of Indoril Nerevar or relieved himself in the same ditch as Reman Cyrodiil. Even so, he knew better than to actually call them on their nonsense. What he was more interested in was the type of room it was.

“What are the sleeping arrangements?”

Eydis responded hesitantly. “It has one large double bed. There is another smaller bed in there, but it isn’t fit for sleeping right now, I’m afraid. We were meaning to have it repaired, but for the time being it’s just sitting there in storage.”

Cadmus blinked. At least she was being honest about that. Still, while he didn’t much care whether he’d have a bed for himself or would have to share, he wasn’t sure how Katria might feel about it. So he turned towards her.

“Are you alright with this? I can ask for a bedroll and sleep on the floor.”

His companion seemed to think for a moment, only to decline his offer. “It seems unfair to rob you of a bed. Besides, I trust you. We’ll make it work.”

That was all he needed. “Alright, we’ll rent Tiber Septim’s room.”

He handed over the payment and Eydis took it, before motioning to her left. “I’ll show you to your room. Right this way.”

The two of them followed her and soon, they found themselves in a spacious room with several furs on the walls and floor, some goat horn sconces, a chest and some drawers. On the nightstand on the right side of the bed was a book, _The Battle of Sancre Tor_ , which Cadmus thought might make for an interesting read before going to sleep. Propped up against the wall next to the door was a single bed with a broken leg, and of course, in the middle of the room was the large double bed, supposedly the same one that the founder of the Empire slept in.

Eydis turned around and was about to close the door. “Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back with the hot bath shortly.”

The innkeeper proved true to her word. Several minutes later, a wooden bathtub was brought into their room and was filled with hot, steaming water. They were offered some lavender soap as well as some towels. He could see Katria eyeing the tub excitedly after Eydis and her son left and seeing that she likely didn’t always have this luxury, he decided to be chivalrous.

“You go first. I’ll look away and read in the meantime.”

He did so before she could protest, but the way her eyes burned into his back made it clear she might not fully believe him. Even so, he grabbed the book on the nightstand and started to read. Thankfully, the content proved rather interesting and he soon found himself immersed in the tome, actually forgetting that Katria was in the room for several moments until she decided to talk to him.

“Should I ask Eydis to bring us some extra bathwater after I’m done? That way, you don’t have to bathe in my Falmer-induced filth.”

He chuckled. “That would be nice, yes. Who knows what exactly we waded through in Arkngthamz.”

He could practically feel her smirk. “Dust, sand, mud… likely the excrements of Falmer and Chaurus alike…”

The Imperial made a face at that, but continued focusing on the book. A few minutes later, he heard the sound of his companion getting out of the tub and drying herself off, pulling out some sleeping clothes from her knapsack and putting them on. He felt her sit on the opposite side of the bed and only when he was sure she was fully clothed again did he look at her. She looked at the bed curiously, likely thinking about the little tale Eydis had told them earlier.

“Do you think Tiber Septim really slept on this bed?”

Cadmus shook his head and continued reading his book. “I doubt it. We also have the Tiber Septim Hotel in the Imperial City and he apparently slept in every single bed in that building.”

She snickered. “Well, at least it looks comfortable enough. Anyway, I’m going to go ask for some more hot water.”

Katria exited the room. Shortly after, she returned with the young boy, Skuli, who came in carrying two buckets, one empty and the other filled with more hot water. He quickly emptied and refilled the tub, which was frankly impressive given his small frame. The Nord woman thanked the boy, giving him some extra coins for his trouble. Then it was her turn to move to the bed. She reached out for the book in the process.

“Mind if I read that?”

Cadmus began to take off his armor and undress. “Sure, go ahead.”

It only took a few moments before he found himself sinking into some wonderfully warm water. This was exactly what he needed after a long day of exploring a Dwarven ruin— the heat was comforting and soothed his aching muscles, and the soap helped wash away the grime. He didn’t mind getting his hands dirty, either physically or metaphorically, but in either case, he liked being able to wash it off again as well.

“So, do you often share rooms with people you’re going on an adventure with?”

He was a bit surprised by Katria’s sudden question, but nonetheless answered.

“I share barracks or bedrolls with other Legionnaires sometimes, when we’re out in the field and there’s no segregated facilities. Why do you ask?”

She sounded somewhat embarrassed as she replied. “Just curious, I guess.”

He chuckled at the implication. “I usually travel alone, when I’m not with the Legion. But shelter is shelter and sleep is sleep, alone or with anyone else. I have no issue with it.”

That answer seemed to satisfy her. “I see.”

After Cadmus had finished thoroughly scrubbing himself, he rinsed off and exited the tub, then dried himself and likewise took out a pair of loose, drawstring sleeping trousers from his own knapsack. He then laid down on his side of the bed, got under the blankets and turned away from Katria. She thankfully did the same. Good. Sleeping back-to-back would at least make the situation a little less awkward for the both of them.

Feeling that just going to sleep now would be awkward, he spoke up. “Well, we survived Arkngthamz. One Shard down, three more to go.”

She yawned. “Mm-hmm. We still have a long road ahead of us. But first… sleep. Goodnight, Cadmus.”

He found himself yawning as well. “Goodnight, Katria.”

It didn’t take very long for Cadmus to sink into a deep, dreamless sleep. For the next eight hours or so, he found himself dead to the world and not even the singing of the traveling bard stirred him from his slumber. So far gone was he that not even the unusual sleeping arrangement bothered him anymore and it was completely wiped from his mind until daybreak.

* * *

He awoke the next morning to the sensation of something warm and pleasant enveloping his body. At first he simply assumed that this was an after-effect of the previous night’s hot bath and the thick blankets and furs. That is until he felt there was something heavy draped over him, and only after a few moments did he realize that what was on top of him was most definitely not a blanket or some furs. When he felt something ticklish against his face and neck, his suspicion was confirmed.

Somewhere during the night, a sleepy Katria had apparently decided she liked the natural source of heat next to her and wanted more of it. Her arm was casually wrapped around his torso and one of her legs was resting on top of his. She had buried her face in his shoulder and was gently breathing against his bare skin, still snoring ever so slightly. Her long, dark brown hair was spilling over his face and neck, smelling of lavender and feeling oddly soft and silky after last night’s bath. He could feel her breasts against his back, separated only by a thin layer of cloth. 

In any other situation, he might have enjoyed this. After all, he had a preference for tall, curvy and muscular women and Katria was exceptionally gorgeous on top of it. But as it was right now, the whole thing was entirely too close for comfort, at least when it concerned a woman with whom he had established a casual partnership. Hoping to avoid any further awkwardness, his first instinct was to try and move without disturbing her.

He shifted ever so slightly in the opposite direction, only to hiss as he suddenly felt an unpleasant stiffness in his pelvic area. He cursed under his breath. While his mind was fully aware that the situation was wholly inappropriate, another part of him had decided that the warm body of a partially clothed, attractive Nord woman was enough reason to react. It also didn’t help that his attempt at movement had caused her to stir a little and her leg was now riding up his thigh.

Instantly, he froze and softly groaned in despair as the ache in his groin refused to let up. The Imperial did his best to remain perfectly still, praying for it to go down and hoping to all the Nine Divines that Katria would remain asleep a bit longer to avoid awkward sidelong glances for the rest of their quest. He sighed, resting his head back against the pillow and staring at the wall. It seemed he would have to wait for a bit before getting up…

He was practically counting the grains in the wood, trying his best to ignore this entire mess of a situation, when his attempts at inner peace were suddenly interrupted by a loud, blood-curdling shriek.

The sound was loud enough to jolt Katria from her slumber. He felt her sit up, only for her to look at him and practically petrify. No doubt she had just realized how their sleeping arrangements had unfolded, but Cadmus had more pressing concerns at the moment. The scream sounded like it came from the innkeeper and anything that could make someone shriek like that wasn’t good.

Filled with worry, and gratefulness for the distraction that was causing him to quickly flag again, he practically catapulted off the bed and reached for his sword. He burst out the door of their room, weapon at the ready, preparing to take down any threat that came his way. His eye quickly fell on Eydis, huddled into a corner, body shaking and face white as a wisp.

Seeing how she was not facing any direct threats, which had been his first assumption, he lowered his sword. Instead, he walked over to her and bent down to her level. She stared at him, but almost didn’t seem to actually see him.

“Are you alright?”

She shook her head, almost angrily. “Mara have mercy! That gave me a fright!”

From the corner of his eye, Cadmus saw Katria come out of the room with her daggers as well, but he decided to focus on the innkeeper. “We heard screaming. What’s going on?”

Her eyes were the size of plates. “There's a… ghost. Just wandering around my inn like it owned the place!”

Cadmus frowned. A ghost? He had to admit, that wasn’t the first threat he would think to encounter when visiting an inn, even one that was out here in the wilds.

“You said you saw a ghost?”

Eydis nodded vehemently. “Yes. I've heard stories that Old Hroldan was haunted, but no one’s seen a ghost here since the Great War. He's from the battle, I just know it. He's one of Tiber Septim's soldiers… back from the dead!”

Again with the Tiber Septim story. There could be some truth to that. After all, he had learned about the Battle of Old Hroldan from his history tutor and he could imagine souls dying in such a huge and bloody event would linger, even if the stronghold itself was long gone and all that remained was an inn. Still, how great were the odds that suddenly, after all these years, one would show up now?

“Cadmus? I think she’s right…”

Katria’s uneasy voice pulled him from his thoughts. He turned away from Eydis and looked at her. Her eyes were fixed on another part of the inn with a look of sheer disbelief and as he followed her gaze, he soon found himself matching it.

On the other side of the inn, sitting in one of the chairs, was a ghost.

The apparition appeared to be that of a man in his mid to late twenties, sporting a long beard and wearing a set of Ancient Nordic armor. The Imperial approached carefully, and only as he drew nearer did he notice some of the other guests of the inn, staring at the sudden visitor and hiding under the tables in fright. He couldn’t blame them, but something told him he should investigate.

The Imperial had dealt with ghosts more times than he’d like to admit. In fact, he was sure that some, like the little girl who burned to death in Morthal, would haunt his nightmares forever. The apparitions had ranged from violent hauntings, lost souls bound to necromancers, and simply those who died suddenly and unexpectedly but couldn’t pass on until they had found closure. This particular one didn’t seem especially angry. He could have attacked the other patrons if he wanted to, but seemed content to simply stay near the cooking pit. Perhaps he could talk to him and ask why he had decided to suddenly appear and almost scare a poor innkeeper to death.

When he was close enough, the spirit seemed to have sensed his presence, as he turned to him and spoke, his tone hopeful. “Hjalti, is that you? I’ve been waiting…”

Cadmus stopped in his tracks, frowning at being addressed directly with a name not his own. “Hjalti? Who are you talking about?” 

The ghost got up from his chair and he only barely managed to remain where he was as the apparition approached, feeling the undead cold envelop him. “You promised me, Hjalti… You promised that when we sacked Hroldan, you would make me your sworn brother. And I’ve waited. Even after the enemies’ arrows dug into my chest and their hammers crushed my bones. I’ve waited. Give me your sword, Hjalti. That we may become brothers as you promised.”

The Imperial winced, perfectly able to imagine the man’s graphic death. So he was indeed a remnant from the old battles that took place here before the Third Empire. And apparently, it was an ancient sword he was after. Still, why here? Why now?

“Who are you? Where are you from?”

The ghost only became more insistent and desperate. “You don’t remember me, Hjalti? Two campaigns we served together. You saved my life time and time again…”

Cadmus looked at the ghostly eyes behind the helmet, which seemed bright with actual recognition, and suddenly a chill ran through his body that had nothing to do with the apparition’s ethereal cold. This ghost didn’t seem confused, far from it. And perhaps, there was a good reason for it. As his mind had gone back to his old history lessons, he realized that he _did_ know a Hjalti, at least by name. One that lived long ago and with whom he shared a very defining characteristic. He almost wanted to laugh at the insanity of it. It seemed Eydis was telling the truth about the room, after all…

Then and there, he made up his mind. It was likely not coincidence that the ghost had shown up here and now. And while his knowledge of ghosts was basic at best, he had a feeling this apparition might not just go away again now that the floodgates were opened. This haunting was likely tied to him and it was his responsibility to take care of it.

“I’ll find your sword.”

For a moment, the ghost’s face seemed to light up. “I long to taste battle again.”

Finally, the Imperial found himself able to move again. He jerked backwards, almost as if something had held him in place, and instantly he found himself faced with Katria. She had been behind him the entire time, daggers at the ready in case the ghost would turn hostile. He motioned her to lower her weapons.

“It’s alright, I don’t think he’s going to hurt anyone.”

She raised an eyebrow in response. “What’s going on?”

“That ghost is apparently looking for a sword.”

It only seemed to confuse her more. “What? Why? What would a ghost need a sword for? And more importantly, why is he _here_ , of all places?”

Cadmus thought quickly. “This is likely where he died. Before the inn was here. He mentioned the sacking of Old Hroldan. I think Eydis may have been onto something...”

There was a short silence between them and he sighed. “I don’t know all of it, but something tells me this ghost won’t just go away again on his own. I think I’m going to have to find that sword, or else the innkeeper will be forever stuck with a cold, transparent patron who never pays his tab.”

Again, she seemed to have a hard time comprehending what was going on. He couldn’t blame her. Not for the confusion or even if she was angry for this sudden snag in their plans to look for the remaining Aetherium Shards. This whole situation was bizarre, but if he would tell her why he thought it was happening, she would declare him insane. Or at least a braggart that was utterly full of it. As such, truth by omission seemed like the better option.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to stay behind and sort this out. If you’d like, you can go on ahead and start heading towards the location of the next Aetherium Shard. We can maybe meet up at Karthwasten tomorrow if that works for you?”

Almost immediately, she gave him an insulted look. “No, we’re in this together. Besides, you helped me a great deal already. The least I can do is help you look for that sword.”

Inwardly, he smiled, glad to have some company on this admittedly rather last-minute undertaking. “I appreciate it. But where should we start? Divines know where a sword that’s several centuries old could have gone…”

Katria rubbed her chin in thought. “Well, maybe Eydis has a clue. I mean, she seems well-informed on the history of the area.”

He had to admit that was as good an idea as any. As such, he turned to the counter, where the innkeeper had previously cowered. By now, she had managed to regain her composure and was standing upright, curiously watching the ghost from a safe distance. Even so, she seemed tense as he came over.

“Do you think the ghost is one of… Tiber Septim’s dead men?”

He nodded, as it was close enough to the truth. “The ghost is looking for a sword belonging to someone named Hjalti. Would you happen to know any exact locations of old battles in the area? I think that if we give him an old sword, he might actually… well, pass on, I guess…”

The idea of the unwanted guest disappearing seemed to greatly appeal to Eydis. “A sword? I remember a legend that Tiber Septim had attacked one of the enemy camps before he came to Old Hroldan. It could be there. I’ll mark it down on your map.”

Grateful for the information, he quickly presented her with his map and she scribbled some directions onto it. He thanked the innkeeper, promising that he’d return soon and get the situation sorted out. When he turned around, however, he caught Katria staring at his torso, only for her to quickly avert her gaze, trying to act nonchalantly even though he could clearly see her face was red. Cadmus, upon realizing that he’d conducted this entire business in nothing but his sleeping trousers, headed back into his room to put on some clothes and armor. Katria quickly followed him in and closed the door, then asked if she could see the map. While he scrambled to put a shirt on, she spoke up.

“Red Eagle Redoubt, huh? I know that place. There’s a Forsworn camp there.”

The word Forsworn was already enough for him to groan. “Lovely.”

She smirked, walking to her side of the bed to dress as well. “By the way, why did that ghost keep calling you ‘Hjalti’?”

He swallowed nervously. “... I think he must have mistaken me for someone else.”

He thanked both Divine and Daedra that he was turned away from her and that she didn’t seem to notice the hesitation in his voice. Instead, he set about putting on his cuirass and strapping on the rest of his armor, before grabbing his sword, bow and knapsack and waiting for Katria to finish gearing up as well. She had caught up soon after and with their objective laid out, they set off, meanwhile hoping that Eydis would not lose too much business while they were gone.

* * *

The two of them set off, heading northwest towards the Forsworn encampment. Frankly, he was rather glad that Katria had decided to come with him. She was very familiar with the rocky areas around The Reach, having grown up there and spending most of her life in the Hold. He was grateful there was somehow who knew all of the hidden paths and secret passages, making the journey significantly shorter and easier.

He noticed, however, that his companion was awfully quiet on the way to their destination. She mostly walked in front of him, looking uncomfortable and avoiding eye contact. It was a far cry from the happy, talkative woman he’d spent the evening with at the inn. The sudden change in demeanor confused him and he wondered if he had offended her somehow, or that perhaps she was indeed upset that they were held up in their journey to find the remaining Aetherium Shards. If this was the case, he felt he’d better address it.

“Katria, is something wrong?”

The Nord stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around to look at him, and he noticed that she seemed to turn red. He wondered what in the world could upset her this much, when she suddenly spoke up and it all became clear.

“Um… About this morning…”

He frowned. “What of it?”

There was a brief quiet before she spoke again. When she did talk, she sounded flustered and started apologizing profusely.

“I’m sorry! Please don’t think ill of me. It must’ve happened during the night. I remember being really cold and… you felt nice and warm… Oh gods, that sounded wrong… I didn’t mean to, I swear!”

The Imperial gestured with his hands, trying to get his companion to calm down. “Katria, slow down. Take a deep breath…”

The Nord woman did exactly that, before letting out a heavy sigh. “Sorry, I… I just feel really bad about it. Please, I don’t want to cause any trouble with your wife…”

Now it was his turn to stare at her in stunned silence. So she was embarrassed about snuggling up against him in her sleep. Fair enough, but he had already assumed that to be an accident on her part and despite the brief discomfort it had caused, it was hardly something that would keep him awake at night. What he didn’t understand was how a wife suddenly came into being and was now involved in this somehow.

“My… wife?”

His confusion seemed to fuel Katria’s and for a moment, she seemed absolutely stumped to the point of inactivity. He was about to wonder if he should snap her out of it somehow, when she recovered enough to speak.

“I know you have daughters… and in your letters, you often spoke of a woman named Jordis, so I figured…”

Then and there, it all made sense to him and he grinned. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not married. Never was. Jordis is my housecarl in Solitude. And no, I have never been involved with her. Not in that way. She’s barely out of her teens and is more like another daughter to me than anything else.”

Katria needed several moments to process that information, and after a few seconds, he heard her let out an audible sigh of relief.

“Oh thank the Divines, I’m not a homewrecker!”

He fought hard to keep a straight face, not wanting to accidentally upset her even more by bursting into laughter. “Look, it’s alright. You did nothing wrong and it was just an accident. Think no more of it, alright?”

Finally, he saw her relax a little. “Alright then.”

She nodded gratefully, only to speak again after a short silence. “So… your daughters… Are they from previous lov—?”

He stopped her before she could finish that question, feeling slightly offended now. “They’re adopted. They were orphans living on the streets and I took them in.”

Almost instantly, the look of embarrassment returned. “... Oh.”

He shook his head. “Not that it matters to me. They’re mine and I’m their father.”

Of course, Cadmus knew she hadn’t exactly insinuated anything of the sort, but it was always a sensitive point for him whenever people were dismissive of his daughters because he hadn’t conceived them. Sofie and Lucia meant the world to him, even if they were not his children by blood. He disliked the way some people somehow considered him less of a parent simply because of this fact. Still, now was not the time to get into the dynamics of that.

Considering the matter over and done with, he looked ahead, across the many rocky slopes and saw some ruins in the distance. They were still far away, but loomed large over the land, even from where they stood. The place looked absolutely fascinating to him, were it not for the knowledge that it would be crawling with Forsworn.

“So, when we get there… I’m going to take a wild guess and say we can’t just walk in and politely ask if we can go look for an old Nordic sword…”

Katria, glad for the change of subject, chuckled. “Unlikely. The Forsworn hate me for the unforgivable crime of being a Nord. They hate you for coming from the heart of the Empire. Honestly, I think they just hate everyone who is not a Reachman and they even hate the Reachmen who don’t think like them as well.”

Cadmus showed a wry smile at that. Based on his previous experiences with the Forsworn, that sounded about right. The Nords could be a xenophobic lot at times, but the Forsworn could easily rival the Third Aldmeri Dominion in how much they seemed to despise anyone not their own. And while he understood that the Reachmen had regularly been treated unfairly, the Nords would likely never leave The Reach either. At some point, one would think they would consider picking their battles.

He thought of the Reachmen he had met in Markarth. Of the Reachmen forced to live in the decrepit Warrens. The ones forced to work for the Silver-Bloods before he put an end to that wretched family. Of Bothela, the old woman who ran The Hag’s Cure who had lost more relatives to the Forsworn rebellion than to Ulfric’s conquest of the city. Most of them were not looking for a kingdom of their own or to return to the ‘Old Ways’— they just wanted to live quiet lives in a world where the Nords considered them citizens as well. Just what had the Forsworn done to actually make the lives of these people better, instead of making them more hated and distrusted?

“You think they’ll ever realize it’s not doing them any favors? And it won’t make things better for their kinsmen in the city?”

Katria scoffed. “I doubt it. I heard their leader Madanach died in prison, but that’s not stopping them. Hatred and exclusivity are powerful, addictive things. It blinds people. So much so that you can claim you are the original people of The Reach, while hiding out in Nordic ruins much older than you to attack the descendents of the people who built said ruins. While you yourself are also a descendent of those people.”

That made him snort and she continued. “Besides, for as much as they and the Nords love to claim purity, the interbreeding never actually stopped. Nords and Bretons created the Forsworn, primarily. And Reachmen, Bretons and Nords continue to interbreed now when no one’s looking. I bet 100 septims that there are probably some Reachmen in my family tree as well.”

Cadmus nodded, not at all surprised by that revelation. After all, he was an Imperial, a race that only came to be because the proto-Cyrods tended to interbreed with Nords, Aldmer, Akaviri and possibly Redguards along the way. In fact, that last one was even more recent for him, as his unusually dark skin was not just the result of a lifetime spent in the sun and his cropped but rather wooly hair was uncommon even among his kind. All his siblings had some variety of similar traits as did their mother, and they were always traced back to some great-grandfather called Xavier, a name which only sounded vaguely Imperial and was relatively common in Hammerfell as well. The idea that most people in Tamriel had some “foreign” breeding in them made as much sense to him as eating when hungry or sleeping when tired. Not that it made him like the Forsworn any more though.

“In any case, it looks like we’re going to have to deal with them soon…”

As they drew closer, he could already see a few Forsworn scouts on the large stone steps of Red Eagle Redoubt. Cadmus immediately stopped walking and Katria did the same. They both gauged the situation from a safe distance, trying to figure out just how many Forsworn there were at the camp and whether or not they’d have to deal with them head-on.

Katria bit her lower lip. “Damn. I can see at least twenty from here. And unlike the Falmer, I doubt we can just start shooting at them with arrows since these people actually have eyes.”

Cadmus shook his head. “Well, fighting them in open combat is out of the question if there’s that many of them. I mean, it can be done, but not without taking some injuries.”

His companion nodded. “Yeah, that would just be a death wish. Unless…”

He watched how she assessed the area again. “Hmm? You have an idea?”

She continued to stare at the ruin, almost as if mapping out a route. “Yeah. I know the rock formations in the area pretty well. Most of them have narrow corridors and passageways. I know this place in particular has a cave system that leads back outside. I think that might be a good way to get to the top of the hill and reach their encampment without dealing with a swarm of enemies.”

Cadmus perked up at that suggestion. Normally, he didn’t have any issues mowing his way through hordes of enemies, but with Katria in tow, he didn’t want to take the risk. Especially not if there were Briarhearts around. Besides, with the journey ahead, they didn’t exactly have time to sit around and nurse wounds if a conflict could be avoided all together. It also didn’t help that as much as he despised the Forsworn, he didn’t feel like slaughtering an entire camp of them just for a damned sword.

The Nord woman moved up beside him. “You see that area over there? I think that could be the entrance that leads up.”

He followed her outstretched hand and quickly found what she was talking about. There were still at least six Forsworn Pillagers patrolling the area, but that was still better than having to deal with twenty all at once. They hid behind a large rock and started discussing what their strategy would be.

“So, what’s the plan? We deal with them and go in there?”

She gave him a look and for a second, she seemed awkward. “Actually, I was thinking of going in alone. Sneak my way to the top and into their camp.”

The Imperial frowned. “Alone? Katria, are you sure?”

She shrugged. “I’m lighter, faster, and quieter. No offense, but I don’t really see you being able to pull this off with your build and your heavy armor. I can do this, Cadmus. Just trust me.”

He had to stop and think for a few moments. She had a point. There was no way the two of them could take on twenty or more Forsworn and expect it to be an easy fight. Stealth would be their best option, but unlike in Arkngthamz, they didn’t have the advantage of being able to hide in the dark and their enemies being blind. He also wanted to resolve the issue at Old Hroldan Inn and didn’t want to linger at this place very long, so the sooner they retrieved the sword, the sooner they could deal with the ghost. As such, he reluctantly listened to her plan.

“What should we do about those scouts at the cave entrance?”

Thankfully, she had already thought about that. “We’re going to need a distraction. Can you take care of that for me?”

He nodded, if somewhat apprehensively. “I can do that. How long do you think it’ll take you?”

He watched her do a brief calculation. “An hour, maybe two. Depends on how many Forsworn I have to take down.”

That sounded reasonable enough, but he couldn’t help but interject. “Only kill if you absolutely have to. Avoid any open fights if you can, especially if you run across any Hagravens or Briarhearts.”

She almost seemed amused with that. “I know. I’ll do my best not to draw attention to myself. Rest assured, I’ll make it back in one piece.”

That casual attitude set him off somewhat, but he figured it was because this was her home area and he was telling her things she already knew. 

“Alright. I trust you to do this. But if you’re not back within an hour I’m going up there myself.”

Part of him wondered if he was being overbearing or overprotective. Katria had been able to handle herself for thirty-eight years and knew both The Reach and the Forsworn better than he did. On the other hand, after seeing her on the verge of dying and doing everything in his power to keep her alive, he also felt justified for at least being worried for her safety and well-being. His companion noticed the concern in his face and his voice and gave him a reassuring smile.

“I should get going now. That sword isn’t going to retrieve itself.”

He returned it hesitantly. “Good luck. And… stay safe, alright?”

Katria gave him a playful smirk. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.”

He watched how she started to quickly take off her steel armor, leaving her only in the light gambeson vest made of padded cloth and leather straps. She equipped her daggers and bow again, as well as a supply of arrows. She left the heavy metal parts of her armor by their cover and once again checked for any unexpected company, after which she started to move towards the cave. The Nord woman started off slowly at first, but once it was clear that the Forsworn Pillagers were looking in the other direction, she made a dash for the opening.

As soon as he saw her dart towards the cave entrance, Cadmus took a deep breath and began to concentrate. He aimed his hand at an open area that he knew all six Forsworn Pillagers would notice right away, and then, after gathering as much energy and Magicka as he could, he summoned a Storm Atronach.

The giant hulking being of wind, rock and lightning instantly drew the Forsworn’s attention. He watched how all of them rushed towards it, weapons drawn and eager for a fight. This gave Katria enough time to get inside the cave opening unnoticed, and now all Cadmus had to do was to keep distracting the scouts with the Storm Atronach, all while praying that his companion wouldn’t run into an ambush herself on her way to the encampment at the top of the hill.

As the ones near the entrance were still occupied by the Storm Atronach, he decided he might as well cause some more mayhem. Sneaking over to another hiding place, he started to fire some arrows into random parts of the area. He wasn’t particularly looking to hit anyone, but the swishing noises and sudden presence of foreign weapons were enough to catch the attention of the other Forsworn they saw on the stone steps earlier. Good. The fewer Katria could potentially run into at the top of the hill, the better.

As such, he continued with providing a distraction while watching from a safe distance. Every now and then, he had to move, just to make sure the Forsworn would not actually catch on to him. Stealth wasn’t really his strongest point, as Katria had rightfully pointed out, but he thankfully managed to stay out of their sight, summoning another Atronach here and there to keep them off his trail.

In the meantime, he waited. He waited with way more worry and anxiety than he’d like to admit. He just hoped that Katria was alright, staying clear of danger, and that she could find something, anything that resembled an old sword. By Oblivion, at this stage, he didn’t even care if it was actually a sword that “Hjalti” had owned, used, licked or may have sat on by accident. All he knew was that he didn’t want Katria’s ghost to join the one at Old Hroldan.

Eventually, the hour had reached its conclusion and there was still no sign of his companion. By now, Cadmus was starting to fear the worst. He had no idea what awaited him inside the cave or at the top of the hill, but it likely wasn’t good. He had heard stories about how some Forsworn cannibalized their victims or wore their tanned hide for clothes. He very much doubted that Katria would be shown any mercy if she had been caught.

And if she had indeed been caught, she might die if he waited out here any longer…

That thought was enough to jolt him into action. He drew his sword, uttered his customary prayer of strength to Talos, Morihaus and Reman, and got up from his hiding spot. It looked like he was going to have to spill some Forsworn blood today after all…

“Cadmus! Hey, Cadmus!”

A sharp whisper behind him drew him from his thoughts. He whipped around, still clutching the sword, only for his eyes to widen. Behind him stood Katria. She was panting heavily, her face was flushed and there was some sweat on her brow, but all in all she looked none the worse for wear.

Even he noticed his own excitement as he spoke. “Katria! You made it! I was starting to get really worried…”

She grinned. “I told you I’d make it back in one piece. Oh, and I brought something else, too…”

With those words, she held up a long, narrow package. She pulled back some of the deerskin wrapping, showing the shiny steel of a sword inside. Even from where he stood, he instantly recognized the make as Ancient Nordic.

“By the Divines… You actually found it!”

The Nord woman gave him a proud look. “Found it inside a locked chest in one of the tents outside. I’m even sure it actually _is_ Hjalti’s sword too.”

That statement was enough to stun him. “How?”

She ran her finger along the tang of the blade and pointed at some carvings. “See this? This sword has an invocation with the name ‘Hjalti’ carved on the blade in Ancient Nordic. To be precise, it reads this. _‘I, Hjalti, servant of Kyne, call upon the one of the Skies to aid me in battle’_. So I’m pretty sure this is, in fact, what we’re looking for.”

The Imperial was impressed. So it seemed Katria’s archaeological expertise extended beyond the Dwemer civilization as well. Still, even though she had for all intents and purposes successfully retrieved Hjalti’s sword, he wanted to know if she ran into any trouble while doing so.

“And what of the Forsworn?”

“I was fortunately able to sneak past most of them, though there were a few that I had to take down quietly. It’s a good thing I have Zephyr with me… Oh, and I also had a run-in with a Forsworn Briarheart.”

His eyes widened at how casually she mentioned that last part. “You what?! What happened? Are you hurt?”

She flashed him a wry smile, then nonchalantly took out a fruit of the same name from her belt satchel and held it in her hand.

“I took care of that pretty easily. You don’t spend three months with a gang of bandits and not learn a thing or two about pickpocketing.”

Cadmus let out a sigh of relief. He still couldn’t believe that Katria actually managed to sneak her way through one of the biggest Forsworn strongholds in The Reach, retrieved the ancient sword and returned with barely a scratch. But at the same time, this was the same woman who spent twenty years exploring Dwemer ruins and dealing with all the dangers that came with the territory. He’d seen her hold her own in Arkngthamz. Even if she was not the most physically strong, Katria was still a very good fighter. On top of that, she had an unbending will of steel and the intelligence and resourcefulness to boot. Those were valuable traits in a companion. Frankly, they were attractive traits in general and honestly, he felt ashamed to have even doubted her capabilities in the first place.

It was at this point that he quietly had to admit to himself that he did very much enjoy this quest and no longer just for the sense of adventure or discovery. He enjoyed this journey… because of Katria. He loved spending time with this striking woman who was equal parts smart, resourceful and formidable. A woman like that made any kind of adventure worthwhile. And even though he was just as excited about the search for the Aetherium Forge, the truth was that he simply enjoyed being around her.

Still, he doubted she was as interested in an admirer as she was in her quest to find the Aetherium Forge and so, he kept that little bit of information to himself. Instead, he decided to voice his admiration for her in a more general way.

“You are one remarkable woman, you know that?”

For a second, he swore he saw her blush, but she recovered in an instant. “Thank you… But enough dawdling. Let’s take this sword back to Old Hroldan Inn and send a poor lost soul on his way to Sovngarde.”

He nodded. “So what do we do? We just give the ghost the sword and that’s the end of it?”

Katria thought for a moment. “Well, you spoke with the ghost. Did he mention anything about what he wanted it for?”

“Well, he mentioned something about becoming sworn brothers.”

“Oh…”

That reaction was enough to have him worried. “Is that a bad thing?”

She shook her head. “No, not necessarily. It’s rather that… Becoming someone’s sworn brother is extremely important in the culture of Skyrim. It’s not just the exchange of a weapon and some words. It requires a ritual too. And witnesses to confirm the bond.”

That took the wind out of his sails for a moment. So it wasn’t going to be as easy then. If the ghost was willing to stick around this long just to be made a sworn brother, he probably didn’t just want to be handed a sword and shooed off to Sovngarde. He likely wanted that ritual just to be at peace.

Thankfully, Katria seemed to sense his thoughts. “Don’t worry, I know what the ritual entails. It takes a Nord to know our ancestors. Here’s what we have to do…”

* * *

Little had changed at the Old Hroldan Inn by the time they had returned. The ghost was still there, exactly where they left him that morning, patiently sitting in a chair next to the hearth. Eydis, her son and her aide were trying their best to go about their business as usual even with the unexpected guest lingering about their inn. The other patrons, or at least the ones that remained, were likewise trying to act as if the ghost wasn’t there.

Hopefully, he could soon bring normalcy back to this place and put the ghost to rest.

Cadmus turned to his companion. “Katria, could you be so kind as to gather Eydis and all the patrons? I think it works best if everyone is in on the plan.”

The Nord woman nodded and he watched her approach Eydis, likely to inform her of what was going to happen and enlist her help as well. Thankfully, the innkeeper seemed pretty amenable to the idea and started helping her talk to the patrons. Meanwhile, he turned to the ghost and approached.

Again, the ghost seemed happy and relieved to see him again. “Do you remember me now, Hjalti?”

There was something forlorn and desperate about it and Cadmus couldn’t help but feel compassion. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to die so suddenly, then left to linger for ages due to an unfulfilled promise. It sounded like torture, to remain as a ghost and watch the world change unrecognizably, unable to move on. He sounded so tired. Perhaps now, by doing this, this warrior could finally rest.

Cadmus nodded, then presented the sword. “Yes. And now, by this sword, you are to become my sworn brother.”

The ghost got up from his seat. “So you have not forgotten me, after all. Let us not wait any longer.”

The Imperial simply nodded. He quickly glanced around and saw that everyone else was preparing for the ritual. Eydis was clearing some space. Skuli and Leontius had come back inside carrying a bundle of makeshift spears made of wooden poles with daggers attached to the tips, as well as a strip of turf they had no doubt dug up outside. They each held a makeshift spear and handed the rest to the other patrons— two adventurers, a mage, a hunter, and the traveling bard. They then put the strip of turf on top of the spears and held it above Cadmus and the ghost’s heads.

He watched how the apparition twitched as they came close, almost as if in alarm. For a moment, it seemed like the veil between worlds faded a little further and he actually became aware of where he was. That there were others around him and they were not from his time, or world, at all.

He looked at Cadmus and for a moment, the Imperial thought he saw confusion and even fear. “Who are these people?”

Without fully realizing it, the living man reached out and put his hand on the ghost’s shoulder. It felt indescribably cold and again, that uneasy feeling took hold of him as his hand threatened to go straight through him. He easily ignored it. This wandering soul needed reassurance and he was perfectly willing to give him that before he could go to Sovngarde. 

“Our fellow warriors, coming to bear witness to our oath. Come, my brother, it is time I fulfill my pledge.”

The ghost nodded eagerly. By now, everyone had gathered around, looking either horrified, confused and simply gawking at the spectacle that was about to unfold. He, however, couldn’t care any less, determined now to go through with it. His eyes met Katria’s and she gave him a nod, indicating that everything was ready and they could proceed.

With that assurance, he turned to the ghost and held up the old sword, remembering the words that Katria helped him rehearse. _“With this sword, I draw our blood…”_

He didn’t flinch as he brought the edge up to the palm of his hand and made a small incision. Some droplets of blood rose to the surface, but the time such a sight scared or unsettled him was long ago. He then wiped the blade and held it up to the apparition, hoping that him being dead would not affect the outcome too much. 

The ghost, however, didn’t hesitate and followed his actions. He fought not to frown as he could indeed see a fluid bubbling up from the cut, something that looked a lot like ectoplasm from where he stood. Still, he decided not to question it, as he showed his hand to the onlookers.

_“With this blood, I seal my oath...”_

As he said this, he motioned Katria forward. She didn’t hesitate and as he and the ghost pressed their palms together, she bound their hands with a small piece of cloth. He didn’t doubt she felt the same unpleasant cold as he did, but she also simply took it in stride, smart enough not to unsettle the apparition in any way. The string held for some reason, not passing through the ghost, and Cadmus wondered just what power this ritual might have that it could bind the non-living. His companion then quickly stepped back, taking the sword in the process, and he continued.

_“With this oath, I vow that you have my sword when in battle, my shield when besieged, my table when you are hungry, and my hearth when winter comes…”_

Having said these words, he looked at the people gathered around him. _“I swear this to you, may these warriors and the Divines be my witness.”_

Thankfully, Katria and Eydis had properly informed everyone on what to do and they answered almost in unison. _“We witness this bond of brotherhood. May what is forged never be broken.”_

Cadmus watched how Leontius, Skuli and the patrons held up the arch of spears and turf, signalling their readiness. The Imperial then motioned to the ghost, still bound to him, and pointed towards the arch. The dead man moved in perfect step with him as they ducked underneath it, sealing the bond that had been lost to death.

Once this was done, some of the patrons actually had the brilliant idea to clap. He didn’t mind at all, glad to see just how committed everyone was to making it work. Eydis decided to go one step further, speaking up and offering everyone some mead to celebrate this joyous event. This was met by excited noises and as everyone dispersed, Katria quickly moved back in, untying their hands and handing him the sword, whispering assuringly.

“You know what to do now.”

He smiled at her and then turned to the ghost, holding up the sword. “This is yours now. You have earned it, my brother.”

There was something both sad and heartwarming about the dead man’s response. He grinned broadly as he reached out to touch it. Hardly had the ghostly hands moved towards it, however, when suddenly, Cadmus could feel how something in the inn started to shift.

It was hard to describe, but it was almost like a storm, invisible but still felt. Like the veil between the worlds was starting to fix itself again and was trying to draw in what was lost during the rift. The time for this man to pass on had finally come and something told him the ghost felt it too.

He looked up and found that spectral visage smiling wistfully. “It’s been an honor to serve you, brother.”

Then, just like that, it seemed he was fading. Slowly, but certainly, he seemed to be pulled from this plane of existence, this world that had left him behind long ago. There was something unsettling about seeing it, but the ghost didn’t seem to feel any pain or discomfort at all. He simply stared back at him, confidently so, almost as if he was already at peace.

“Remember our lessons from the sword masters of Alcaire? Let me show you a few things you may have forgotten before we leave Hroldan.”

Then, without warning, Cadmus saw how the ghost reached out and, before he could react, the dead warrior touched his forehead.

It was like an explosion went off behind his eyes. Out of nowhere, he was no longer at the inn. Instead, he found himself in a place he couldn’t recognize, as a man much younger than him. He was holding up his sword as another young man charged at him with a weapon of his own, hollering and laughing all the way.

Somehow, he knew that this man was the ghost, that he was Hjalti, and for a short eternity, he felt like a passenger as the memories played out. Memories of practice fights, being scolded by longtime masters of swordcraft. Memories at sea, where they warded off attacks from pirates and battleships alike. And lastly, memories of actual battles, big and small, against Men and Mer, all the way up to Old Hroldan, where he finally watched this man, Hjalti’s friend, die in his arms after holding off the Reachmen far longer than he should have. The memory slowly faded out and as the world turned to black, he heard the ghost, speaking clearly and concisely.

“Farewell. Farewell, my friend. And thank you.”

Then, out of nowhere, it was over and he was back at the inn. He was on his knees, staring at the floor, feeling extremely cold and incredibly thirsty. Katria was beside him, pulling on his shoulder and her voice hoarse with concern.

“Cadmus? Cadmus! Are you alright? What’s happening to you? Please, say something!”

It took several seconds for him to find the strength to reach up to her. His head felt heavy as he turned it in her direction. He tried to smile at her in an effort to reassure her, but it hurt his jaw immensely.

“I’m fine, Katria. Really…”

She didn’t believe him for a second and he didn’t blame her. “You fell to the ground and blacked out for a few moments. I was starting to get worried… The ghost suddenly vanished, and all that’s left is the sword.”

He frowned upon hearing that. So the whole thing had only lasted a few moments. In his mind, seeing through Hjalti’s eyes had taken years… Still, it seemed his experience had not been for nothing. The ritual had indeed helped the ghost move on and he could finally go to the Whalebone Bridge of Sovngarde, proudly stating his name.

The Imperial looked over to where the sword lay abandoned and smiled, managing to speak despite his dry throat. “Talos guide you, my brother.”

He almost wanted to laugh hearing himself say that, realizing just how poignant calling upon that particular Divine was in this context. He was almost glad that no one would ever know. Even so, the man deserved a sendoff and he was not afraid to call upon the one the Thalmor so despised.

Katria smiled at hearing his words as well and knelt beside him, offering some of her own. “Farewell, old warrior. Sovngarde awaits.”

They sat together like that for a little bit, before she rose to her feet and helped him up as well. He was immensely grateful for it, noting that he was still uneasy on his feet. She picked up the sword as well, then supported him as they moved to the counter of the inn. There, they were greeted by the elated patrons, who welcomed them excitedly.

One of the adventurers raised a mug to him. “Great work, you two. The ritual worked! I’m surprised, I have to say. I was thinking we had to kill it with a magic sword or something.”

The mage piped up. “Indeed. I have dealt with lingering ghosts before, but it usually results in violent exorcisms, with ectoplasm in places you couldn’t even imagine. I will definitely record this event for study. Oh, and tell it to my children’s children.”

The traveling bard smiled at them both, wiping a tear from his eye. “That was so beautiful! I shall write a song about this in your honor!”

Cadmus just nodded quietly at all of this, still feeling somewhat out of sorts from the whole experience. Thankfully, Eydis seemed to notice and quickly pushed a bottle of mead his way. He immediately grabbed it and started gulping it down, ignoring the fact he didn’t even like mead all that much, just grateful to have something to quench his thirst. Once the color had come back to his face somewhat, the innkeeper spoke to him.

“Do you think that ghost is coming back? It seems to have vanished for good…”

He nodded, feeling a little better. “I really think he’s gone. He was here due to an unfulfilled promise. Katria and I fulfilled it for him. He should be at rest now.”

Eydis laughed with clear relief. “Thank Mara. I doubt many people would want to keep coming here knowing they’d have to share a drink with a long dead warrior from the Second Era!”

He let out a small chuckle at that, only for the innkeeper to turn to the both of them. “Either way, you two have done me a great service and I won’t soon forget it. I’ll make sure to get a good amount of food and drink ready for your travels, free of charge. How does that sound?”

He and Katria exchanged looks, both their faces lighting up. Free food was always welcome. They both nodded in unison and with that Eydis’s attention fell on the sword.

“So this is Hjalti’s sword, huh? The thing that started all of this?”

As if on cue, Katria moved it a little closer, so the innkeeper could inspect it. “Yes. It even has an incantation with his name on it. So it most definitely belonged to him. But I guess the ghost couldn’t take it with him into the afterlife.”

Cadmus was sure the innkeeper only heard half of the explanation. He saw how she watched it with utmost fascination, the way Katria would look when given the promise of a rare Dwemer relic. Seeing how he, quite frankly, never wanted to see this weapon again after the strange adventure it had kicked off, that suddenly gave him an idea.

“Would you like to have it?”

Eydis froze for a moment, then gave him a shocked look. “Are you sure? I mean…”

Thankfully, Katria seemed to share his sentiment and backed him up. “This is your inn and we have our own weapons, sharper and more suited to our needs. Besides, the ghost no longer needs it. If you would like a keepsake from this strange event, it’s yours if you want.”

Just like that, Eydis’s eyes started to gleam. She eagerly took the weapon as Katria offered it to her, holding it delicately as if it were a rare, valuable treasure. In a way, Cadmus figured, it was and perhaps the innkeeper realized it too. That was fine with him. It was less weight for them to carry around and he appreciated swords for their use, not their historical value.

She practically beamed at them. “Thank you for this wonderful gift. Trust me when I say I will cherish it.”

The two of them stayed at the inn for another hour or so, happy to enjoy a free meal and mapping out their route as Cadmus recovered from his brush with the past. They regaled the rest of the patrons with their tales of retrieving the sword, no doubt giving them some amusement of their own before they would continue their travels. In the end, however, they decided they had delayed long enough and told everyone it was time for them to go, much to their dismay. They both headed to their room, though not before taking the huge supply of food Eydis set out for them, and started gathering their things.

As they walked out and said their goodbyes, Cadmus felt Katria quietly nudge him. He saw her point discreetly and smiled when he saw Eydis excitedly mount Hjalti’s sword on a wooden plaque behind the counter. He definitely understood now just why she was so happy to have an item that belonged to a ghost.

As they went outside, Katria laughed. “I guess Tiber Septim’s bed isn’t the only historical thing in this inn anymore.”

He grinned. “Well, that will make it an inn with at least one, maybe two historical items that aren’t a complete pile of mammoth manure. Which is already more than some of the other inns I’ve stayed in. So, anyway… Shall we head to Karthwasten?”

His companion smiled. “Yes. Let’s.”

And with that, the pair set off again, following the long and winding path that would hopefully lead them back on the trail of the Aetherium Shards.


	7. An Incident at Dragon Bridge

“Do you see anything resembling a Dwemer ruin?”

Katria kept looking in the distance as they followed the path along the river. “Not yet. I can spot what looks like some old Dwarven structures by the river bank though, so I think we’re close.”

Cadmus nodded, meanwhile also looking for anything that resembled Dwemer ruins in the vicinity. The two of them had set out in the small hours of the morning, having spent the night in Karthwasten. It turned out Cadmus knew the owner of the land, a Reachman named Ainethach, and had once helped him drive off some Silver-Blood mercenaries from his mines.The man was only happy to offer some hospitality, and allowed them to sleep at the bunkhouse with the other miners, many of whom knew her companion as well.

While she was grateful for having a place to spend the night, she was more than a little embarrassed when Cadmus asked for some extra furs and blankets for her. She still felt somewhat guilty about snuggling against him the previous night, though she also felt equally guilty about the fact that she secretly enjoyed it. Of course, she had simply gotten cold and it was accidental. But even she had to admit that, after not having been with a man in so long, sleeping next to a warm body felt quite nice. Even more so when that also happened to be a charming, kindhearted Imperial man with whom she got along really well. A man whom she found quite easy on the eyes, too, even with the scars and the broken nose… And then there was his rather impressive physique…

Katria shook her head, trying to get that particular image out of her mind, while at the same time wondering if it was inappropriate for her to find him physically attractive. After all, as far as she knew, their partnership was strictly business. But after getting to know Cadmus, at first by exchanging letters and now by actually talking to and spending time with him, she couldn’t help but feel a bond of some sort. There was just something about her companion that put her at ease, and as embarrassing as it might seem, she quietly admitted to herself that sleeping next to him made her feel safe and secure. And especially upon learning that he was in fact unmarried, she felt that her hasty apology had likely smothered any chances of it ever happening again— something she at least somewhat regretted.

Still, as the Khajiit would know, there was no crying over spilled milk. As such, she accepted the relative loneliness of her bunk with grace, glad that she didn’t have to camp out in thin tents with musty, flea-ridden bedrolls for once in her life. In fact, she slept quite well, as did Cadmus, and in the morning, the two of them proceeded with their journey.

It had taken them about six or seven hours to reach the major Dwemer ruin of Bthardamz, which they had marked on their map as a landmark close to the location of the next Aetherium Shard. She and her companion took care not to linger in the area for too long, however, since they were both aware of the notoriously aggressive Peryite worshippers who resided in the ruins and greeted anyone who dared come near them by violently vomiting on them. The last thing they needed was an unnecessary altercation that could also end up with them horribly diseased. So they kept heading northeast slowly, carefully traversing the rough terrain and jagged rocky outcroppings.

They had eventually found themselves near a river bank, where there stood the remains of a single Dwarven stone pillar next to a similarly ruined stone pedestal with a few Dwarven arrows on top of it, which Katria took out of instinct. There was also a relatively unscathed Dwemer Convector there, and she knew that they were getting closer.

Their best bet had been to cross the river, which thankfully was only waist-deep, and follow it upstream, using the waterfalls as a marker. The area had several bear traps scattered on the ground, which they narrowly avoided. At one point, they had to deal with a small group of angry Forsworn ambushing them, but the problem had been dealt with quickly enough between the two of them.

The pair had spent a good hour or two just wandering about aimlessly, to the point that Katria was starting to get frustrated and wondering whether she had miscalculated. It was easy to find the larger ruins, as they stuck out like a sore thumb upon the landscape of Skyrim. It was much harder to find any unmarked ruins, which had likely not been preserved nearly as well. In fact, there was a very good chance that the entire place had sunk into the depths of the earth.

That thought made her nauseous, in no small part because it wasn’t unlikely. After all, these ruins had been around for thousands of years. Time had a way of wearing them down and if they could still be accessed, there must have been countless others who had entered these ancient cities before her. For all she knew, one of them might have actually taken the Shard, not knowing what it was or what it was worth.

Truth be told, she and Cadmus had discussed that possibility, but the Imperial wasn’t all that willing to entertain it. He seemed just as excited about this whole thing as she was, if only for the adventure, and he wasn’t going to give up just because the answer wasn’t immediately obvious. She had to admit she quite liked that about him. It was almost a shame that he’d chosen to become a soldier, when his tenacity and desire to learn would’ve made him an excellent scholar.

He had agreed to her decision to continue their search up river, and as they clambered over the harsh, rocky landscape, she just hoped they wouldn’t accidentally end up in High Rock. After all, how hard could it be to find a Dwemer ruin, even an unmarked one? It had to be here _somewhere_.

Just as she was about to give up for the day, however, she noticed something in the distance. The view was somewhat obscured by the mist coming from the waterfalls, but she could see what looked like the silhouette of Dwemer architecture. Suddenly, she felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her body and something in her gut told her that they were in the right place after all.

“Hey! Look over there! I think… I think that’s it! Come on!”

She was so excited that she practically sprinted up the hill and Cadmus had to run at full speed to keep up with her. Katria hardly cared, as the structure became ever more clear to her. By now, she could see it was a stone bridge across the waterfall and, having never seen anything like it, she moved even faster, determined to see it up close.

The bridge was still in excellent condition and she couldn’t help but marvel at that fact. She walked across it reverently, excited to lay her eyes on this seemingly forgotten bit of history. She ran her hands over the old stone, inwardly already making notes to document later. She breathed in the moist air, caused by the rushing water all around her. The slippery surface had her move slowly and carefully, but as she finally reached the other side, she knew she was on the right track.

Just across the bridge, on the north side of a slope, she spotted a plinth with a Dwarven helmet, a Dwarven sword and another convector. She approached the area excitedly but also cautiously, holding out Zephyr in case there were any traps or ambushes. Thankfully, there were none, and as she walked up the stone steps of the plinth and walked around it, she saw a familiar, faintly glowing light blue crystal resting on top of the pedestal.

The second Aetherium Shard.

She held the crystal in her hands, filled with the same sense of anticipation as when she laid her hands on the first piece back in Arkngthamz. Part of her was in utter disbelief that the Shard was just laying out here in the open, and no other adventurers or even bandits had decided to take this mysterious, expensive-looking blue crystal. Though at the same time, the Dwarven bridge they had just crossed was relatively hidden and from the looks of it, no other people had been in the area prior to her and Cadmus. It was a bit uncanny and somewhat suspicious, but she wasn’t going to question their good fortune.

She took the first Shard out of her knapsack and laid it against the second piece— even now, she still hadn’t quite gotten used to the odd sensation of the mineral against her skin. Sure enough, the two crystals fit perfectly together and she could very clearly see that she now held half of a circular crest in her hands.

She now had half of the key to the Aetherium Forge…

The Imperial had caught up to her. He stopped for a moment to regain his breath, before giving her a questioning look. She held up the Shard triumphantly, causing him to perk up. Clearly, their afternoon of searching and wandering had paid off.

He smiled at her, noticing her obvious excitement. “That’s two down, two more to go.”

He walked over to her to study the item up close. She pointed out how the two pieces fit together perfectly, indeed confirming her theory about the key. She didn’t even realize she was rattling until Cadmus motioned her to slow down and even then, she couldn’t quite manage to string her words together in a fully coherent manner.

It took a few moments for her to regain her composure, though she still had a huge grin on her face. After putting both Shards back in her knapsack, she took out her journal and began rapidly writing down a description of the area, as well as sketching the Dwemer bridge and its surroundings. Cadmus quietly stood back and allowed her to document the place and her findings, and only when she was done did she speak to him again.

“Alright. We’re making good progress. Based on my research, that should do it for the Aetherium Shards that can be found in The Reach. As for the other two, well…”

Her companion furrowed his brows in thought. “I take it we don’t yet have a confirmed location for those two?”

She began flipping through the pages of her journal. “Not a _confirmed_ location, no. I haven’t worked it out entirely, but I do have a vague idea of where we can find them. The first location is supposedly the primary source of Aetherium, extracted from a deeper mine. By my calculations, it’s somewhere in The Pale, relatively close to another large Dwemer ruin, Irkngthand. And the other location is a storage site for raw Aetherium, just outside a major city in Eastmarch. Apparently, it had to be kept outside because the Aetherium was ‘harmonically volatile’.”

“Sounds like it’s going to be a long journey…”

She closed her journal, letting out a sigh. “Yeah… Honestly, I haven’t even thought of how to get all the way to The Pale from here…”

Cadmus thought for a moment. “Well, I’ll be going home to Solitude soon anyway. From what you mentioned, the last two Shards are somewhere in the eastern part of Skyrim. That’s not a journey we can easily manage by foot. However, we _can_ get a carriage from Solitude to Windhelm and then start from there.”

She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “Are you asking me to go to Solitude with you?”

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, I can’t exactly just leave you out in the wilderness to go looking for the Aetherium Shards by yourself while I’m with my family for a few weeks. So… yeah, I’m asking if you’d like to come with me. That way we can rest and recuperate, and also plan our next move.”

She chuckled. “Well, I was planning on just staying at the Silver-Blood Inn for a while, but I suppose the inn in Solitude would work, too. The one with the odd name. What was it called again? ‘The Winking Skeever’?”

He seemed to get a little more awkward. “You’re more than welcome to stay with me. Me and my family, I mean. Er… If you’d like to, that is.”

Katria didn’t immediately respond to that. Instead, she just stared at him for a moment, processing the implication of his offer. From what Lydia told her, she knew he was indeed a genuinely hospitable person, who happily offered his house in Whiterun to those who needed it. Still, that was a house he barely lived at. The fact that he offered his actual home in Solitude, the one he currently lived in with his daughters, was significant. It meant that he trusted her enough to actually bring her into a rather intimate part of his personal life. 

She suddenly thought back to her days as a lost, confused runaway teenager, desperate for food and shelter. She’d been chased out of towns and establishments more times than she could count, treated as an unwelcome beggar. Even as she grew up and became an established scholar, she was still often met with disdain by fellow Nords, who saw her work as useless and contributing nothing to their society. To actually be invited and feel welcome was rare and even now, it took a moment for her to process that someone felt that level of appreciation for her.

As she looked up at Cadmus and saw the anticipation on his face, almost innocent and child-like, she felt overcome by a warm, pleasant sensation and soon found herself sporting a huge smile on her face. Very few people in her life had ever been this kind to her… The decision was easy for her to make.

“Y-yes, that would be nice… Thank you, Cadmus.”

For a moment, he seemed surprised she even accepted. Even so, he seemed happy that she did. He smiled broadly and gestured towards the distance, pointing to where Haafingar Hold was.

“Well, that’s settled then. So, shall we head towards Dragon Bridge? We can rest up there and then continue towards Solitude.”

Katria had no objection to that. They had wasted a lot of time just finding the location of the second Shard and they were far enough out in the wilderness of Skyrim that it would take a while to get to any town. She much preferred not having to camp out in Forsworn territory in the dead of night. So the quicker they got to civilization, the better.

“I’m not going to argue with that. Let’s head to Dragon Bridge. It’s probably our safest bet too, if we want to cross the Karth in one piece.”

She was not joking there. While at some spots, the long and winding Karth river was shallow enough to cross, the water would still come up to one’s waist or chest. It was a cold river, with a strong and unpredictable current. And with their heavy armor, there was a good chance they might not make it out alive if either of them took a wrong step and got swept away. The long and winding path to the one reliable bridge to cross into Haafingar Hold was preferable to the alternative.The Imperial seemed aware of that too and soon, they were on the road to their destination for the night.

* * *

The next few hours were mostly filled with walking, sometimes quietly and sometimes filled with conversation. Occasionally, their trek was interrupted by wandering Forsworn, the rare bear and even some packs of wolves. They dealt with the threat accordingly, looting their enemies and skinning their animal attackers for good measure, merely annoyed that it ate up more of their time in leaving The Reach.

Indeed, by the time they finally followed the long, winding and treacherous road to Dragon Bridge, it was already nighttime. The pair thankfully managed to keep walking thanks to Cadmus’s Candlelight spell, but even with the extra source of light, their surroundings had already gotten too dark to comfortably continue walking. The sky was inky black, lit with a thousand stars and Masser and Secunda loomed large above them. The temperature was quickly dropping and Katria noticed her feet were starting to hurt immensely. She was itching to find the local inn, rest for a while and either eat some of the food Eydis gave them, or request whatever was on the menu.

She crossed the iconic bridge, forcing her aching feet to make those extra steps towards the nearest inn, when suddenly, a large shadow slid over her and blotted out the moonlight.

“Watch out!”

The next thing she knew, Cadmus suddenly yanked her by the shoulders and pulled her to the side, right as a stream of fire rained down where she had been standing just half a second ago. His sudden movement hurt, but she wasn’t even paying attention to it as a loud roar filled her ears and the beating of heavy reptilian wings thundered across the sky.

Instantly, she knew what was happening.

She knew she should run. Find cover. Draw her bow. Do anything but just stay where she was. Still, she found she couldn’t move. Even though every thought in her mind was screaming at her to do something, she felt frozen in place, as if every limb had turned to stone and her legs were rooted firmly to the ground.

It was one thing to see a dragon in the distance. It was another thing entirely to see one up close. The dragon must have been around thirty feet long, with razor-sharp teeth and large, pointed horns. Its body was covered in red and tan scales, with some splotches of black in certain areas. It looked like death personified and the idea that it was mere feet away from her, ready to burn her to death or snap her bones, was enough to put the purest form of fear in her.

Almost on instinct, she looked at Cadmus. He didn’t seem to suffer from the same problem she had. She watched how he immediately reached for his Ebony bow and without blinking, started to fire up into the sky.

Suddenly, she remembered that this was not his first brush with dragons. By the Nine, Lydia had told him that was how he became Thane of Whiterun in the first place. Even so, there was something almost terrifying about his lack of hesitation, as was the fact that he didn’t seem at all scared as the dragon turned around and flew towards him again.

The Imperial only narrowly avoided yet another blast of fire, sidestepping it almost casually as he responded by shooting an arrow into the dragon’s head. The creature let out a roar, flinching for the briefest of moments and wavering in the air before it managed to steady itself. It only took a second, but for some reason, it stirred something in her.

The arrow had managed to hurt it. It even nearly took it out of the sky.

If it could get hurt, it could be killed. 

Why that thought came to her so suddenly or why it hadn’t been obvious before, she didn’t know. She didn’t even care. Somehow, that was all it took for her to move again. And move, she did, as her hands obeyed her commands once more and she found herself reaching for Zephyr.

She had never fought a dragon before, but there was a first time for everything.

They were not alone in that sentiment. By now, she could hear the town guards, along with what looked to be Imperial soldiers, screaming and raising the alarm. More arrows joined their own, as they started to fire frantically, desperate to take the creature down as quickly as they could. She understood their urgency. Dragon Bridge had no stone walls or fortifications. One errant stream of fire and the whole town would light up like tinder and burn to the ground.

That horrifying notion was enough to keep any remaining fear at bay. Following her companion’s lead, Katria found herself charging forward, grabbing more arrows as she tried to aim for the head and wings. When the dragon swooped down and landed on one of the buildings, she instantly dove for cover. The stone pillar of the bridge only barely shielded her from the blast of fire the beast hurled her way and she could smell the tips of her hair getting singed. That only made her angrier and the moment the dragon stopped to inhale for a new attack, she whipped out from behind her cover, grabbed another arrow and fired it straight into the creature’s mouth.

The roar of pain it let out was nothing short of satisfying, but she was nowhere near done yet. Emboldened by her earlier action, she forwent her hiding place entirely and charged towards the beast as it tried to take to the skies again. Time almost seemed to slow as it spread its wings and in those precious few seconds, she knew exactly what she had to do.

Before she fully realized it, she had grabbed some of the Dwarven arrows she had scavenged from The Reach. She placed them on Zephyr’s string and without so much as a tremble, she fired again. The arrows swished through the air at breakneck speed, rushing towards its target, and even over the sound of fire and screams, she could hear flesh ripping as the projectiles tore a gaping hole in the dragon’s wings.

The creature seemed to quickly realize just what was happening. It tried to take off again, succeeding this time, but it didn’t get far. Its torn wings were unable to keep it in the air for much longer and the beast plummeted to the ground. It crashed near the bridge, barely missing the lumber mill. A sense of excitement rushed through her at the sight, but as she saw Cadmus, as well as some of the guards and soldiers, rush in, she knew the battle was nowhere near over.

Throwing the last of her caution to the wind, she sprinted after them. She pushed past them as some of them skidded to a halt, clearly losing their nerve now that the creature was on the ground. Cadmus, on the other hand, had no such hesitation. He was charging at the dragon with his sword drawn, nimbly avoiding the beast’s fire despite his heavy armor.

The dragon was already waiting, jaws parted, downed but still ready to fight. Instinctively, Katria knew it would direct its ire at the one person directly challenging it and she acted quickly. From her position, she loosed a few more arrows into the creature’s side, with the guards and soldiers following her lead. That was enough to draw its attention and as it turned to her to spit more fire, the Imperial moved in with a devastating blow to the head.

The impact sent the dragon reeling, but its thick scales made the otherwise lethal strike a mere inconvenience. It now turned back to Cadmus, lurching forward in an effort to bite. Her companion dodged the first few attempts, slashing at the creature with his sword in return. The two of them were soon entangled in a lethal dance of survival and it would take but one mistake for either of them to perish.

Katria was just about to give him another edge by firing the bow again when it happened. Perhaps it was the fatigue brought on by their long journey. Perhaps Cadmus had simply miscalculated. But within the blink of an eye, he had moved closer to strike and the dragon struck first instead.

“CADMUS!”

The Nord woman’s horrified scream echoed in the night as the gruesome sight unfolded in front of her. She could only watch in horror how the monster’s teeth found its mark. With the speed of a bear trap, they clamped into her companion’s side. Even from where she stood, she could hear his heavy armor break with a metallic crunch and she knew the dragon’s maw had found flesh. This was soon confirmed by a pained and enraged grunt on the Imperial’s end, one that only stretched out longer as the creature started to shake at him, trying to tear muscle and break bones.

Despite his state, however, Cadmus was not planning to go quietly. He responded by repeatedly slashing at the beast’s cheek, cursing it all the way in both Tamrielic and the Cyrodilic language. The dragon clearly winced, but wasn’t about to let go, even when the guards launched another volley of arrows into its sides and legs. Right then and there, Katria knew that any long range attacks were not going to help anymore.

Her feet moved before her mind was even aware. Sprinting at full speed like she did on the day of the earthquake, she practically launched herself at the dragon. Her hands found her daggers and her world narrowed to just the creature’s head. She leaped and, with a precision and strength she didn’t think possible, she jammed her daggers into the dragon’s eye.

Instantly, the blades got buried all the way to the hilt and the beast howled. It opened its jaws right away and Cadmus immediately took the opportunity to slip out of their deathly grasp. Furiously, the creature turned its attention to her, but as it could no longer see out of its left eye, she had long moved clear of its reach. Instead, she had sprinted down the dragon’s side, slashing at the wings, hoping to somehow find a way to roll underneath it and maybe take a stab at its possibly more vulnerable belly.

The dragon, on its end, was not planning to make it so easy. It started to wildly flap its large, muscular wings, making it incredibly hard to come close. Yet at this point, the Nord woman had thrown all caution to the wind and kept viciously attacking its sides, screaming at it and daring it to try and kill her in a fit of righteous anger. 

That anger, unfortunately, ended up blinding her in the end. As she moved in for another lightning fast swipe, the dragon finally seemed to get an idea of where she was. As she jumped in to stab it again, it moved its wings once more. Several tons of heavy bone, muscle and wind hit her straight in the chest and she suddenly found herself flying several feet through the air. She landed unceremoniously on her back and as she lay there gasping for breath, she could feel pain shooting through her body.

She hadn’t broken anything. That she was sure of, as she was quite the expert now on how that felt. She thanked the Nine that her armor and its padding seemed to have taken the brunt of the blow. Even so, she had underestimated just how powerful this ancient being was and like Cadmus, she now had the marks to show for it. 

More than just marks, likely, as the dragon was now rapidly crawling in her direction, ignoring any arrows and attempted attacks from the guards, angry and intent on finishing the job.

Despite the pain, she scrambled up, determined to face the creature. She gripped her blades, her mind racing, thinking how she could get the better of it with just her daggers. She could already see fire forming in the back of the dragon’s throat and she knew she would have to move quickly to avoid it, lest she’d be burned to a crisp before she could make her next move.

The fire, however, never came.

Suddenly, Cadmus was back in the fray. Powered by seemingly nothing more than rage, determination and adrenaline, he drove his sword into the dragon’s neck, shoving it in as far as he could and twisting it for good measure. The scream the creature released as a result was deafening, but even now, it refused to die. Katria could see how it attempted to bite the Imperial again and it was there, as it turned away from her, that she noticed its exposed throat.

It was all she needed.

Ignoring the promise of sharp, flesh-rending teeth, she threw herself at the beast and drove both of her daggers between the scales. This time the creature spasmed, wildly flinging its head. The sudden movement forced her to jump back, leaving her weapons stuck in the dragon’s skin as a result. She cursed loudly, but her impromptu attack proved not to be in vain.

Cadmus instantly slashed at the dragon again, before moving forward and jumping on the beast’s head. The monster tried to violently shake him off, but he held fast, brutally bringing down his sword on the head in a hail of endless blows. Eventually, the blade found the nape, hidden between cracked scales caused by his earlier assault, and he buried his weapon deep into the exposed flesh, before pulling it back out in a spray of bone fragments and scarlet.

That, it seemed, was what finally did it. Almost instantly, the giant monster’s body went limp. The Imperial only had a few moments to leap off and land on his feet as the dragon hit the earth with a thud that made ground tremble. There it lay, motionless, and where there had previously been utter chaos, there was now deafening silence.

Sucking in a deep, desperate breath, Katria found herself exchanging looks with Cadmus. Her companion looked immensely tired, sweat gushing from every pore, his breathing coming out in ragged, rasping gasps. He looked absolutely disheveled, his carved Nordic armor fractured and barely clinging to his body over torn padding. Even in the moonlight, she could see several injuries on him, and with the blood running down his face, it almost seemed as if he were wearing some sort of eerie warpaint.

It made him look extremely unsettling as he smiled at her, white teeth standing out against dark blood, but his voice was warm and happy. 

“Congratulations, Katria… your first dragon kill. Definitely one for the books.”

That praise, given so freely and readily, caught her off guard. She had not gone into this fight for the glory of killing a dragon. She had rushed in to help, not simply because Cadmus was a fellow warrior and a trustworthy traveling companion— no, she had rushed in to help because he was _her friend_. He had taken the brunt of this entire battle, so the fact that he credited her with taking down this creature was surprising, to say the least. Surprising, but definitely flattering.

She smiled back, feeling almost shy, when a sound caught her attention. It sounded like fire and for a second, she was sure the dragon was coming back to life. She grasped for the daggers that were no longer there, only to then go for her bow. The Nord woman then turned towards the source, only to still.

There was indeed fire, but it was not coming from the dragon’s mouth. Instead, the flames were consuming the dead beast’s body, seemingly burning it up from the inside. But that wasn’t the only thing that shocked her. The flames began to dance in the air, flickering at first, then eventually swirling into ribbons of light, being pulled into a certain direction. In fact, it looked as if the flames— or light, or ribbons of energy, or _whatever it was_ — were being drawn towards something.

And that something… was Cadmus.

She watched how the strange source of energy swirled around him, frantically and at a dizzying pace. He didn’t seem to move or respond to its presence, simply remaining where he was without a trace of alarm. Then, without warning, the yellowish light seemed to seep into his body, like water evaporating in the sun, and just like that, it was gone, leaving only her companion.

The guards and soldiers who had aided them in the fight stood as awestruck as she was. And while Katria couldn’t find the right words, the guards had plenty to say about what they’d just witnessed.

“It can’t be… You… You took its very soul!”

“It’s like the ancient legends… Dragonborn…”

 _Dragonborn_.

Suddenly, all sorts of thoughts began racing through Katria’s head. Little things Cadmus had told her over the last few days, shreds of information Lydia had let slip. The strange incident at the Old Hroldan Inn. All of a sudden, things started to add up. Things started to make sense, insofar as they could as she took in this baffling new reality.

This man was not just a Legate in the Imperial Legion or a Thane of Whiterun and Solitude. This man was the first of his kind, not seen since Martin Septim… over two hundred years ago. A mortal born with the soul of a dragon…

She was filled with a swirl of emotions, ranging from relief, to awe, to confusion, and eventually anger. Why? Why had Cadmus never once told her about being Dragonborn, despite traveling together for several days now? That was some rather life-changing information, after all, and not something one could accidentally forget to mention. Had he intentionally deceived her? Or did he not consider her trustworthy enough to tell her? She didn’t know for sure, but all she could do was turn to her companion, demanding some answers.

“YOU’RE DRAGONBORN?!”

He actually seemed shocked by her sudden outburst. “Er… Yes?”

His words sounded almost sheepish and for some reason, that only annoyed her even more. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Only now did he seem to catch onto her anger and he gave her an upset, almost offended look. “I didn’t think it was relevant at the time!”

By now, her fury was reaching its boiling point. “It would have been nice to know beforehand that my traveling companion was the long-prophesied Hero of Skyrim, damn it!”

As she yelled at him, she could see how the guards, soldiers and even some villagers had gathered around and were watching them with immense confusion. She couldn’t care any less. Right now, she wanted answers, especially regarding how the Imperial had planned to keep his true identity from her for the duration of their journey. But where she considered that question the utmost priority, Cadmus, clearly exhausted from the fight and not wanting to engage in an argument right now, fired back at her with a blunt question.

“Well, even if I had told you then, would you have believed me?”

She opened her mouth for a swift reply, only to realize that she had none. Worse still, Cadmus actually had a point. 

“Well, I…”

She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence, as the Imperial suddenly stumbled forward, clutching his stomach. It was only then that she realized that, in the confusion of the fight, one of the dragon’s teeth, easily the size of a dagger, had managed to pierce through the Imperial’s armor and had lodged itself deep in his abdomen, which was now bleeding profusely. Realizing that now was not exactly the right moment to demand answers, she quickly dropped to the ground as well and placed his head on her lap as she tried to look over his injuries as best as she could in the darkness. Whatever anger or annoyance she had felt earlier was quickly ebbing away and was instead replaced with worry.

“Cadmus! Damn it, you’re bleeding…”

The Imperial struggled to speak, his words coming out in between labored breaths and his hand still clutching his bloody stomach. “It’s alright… it’s just a flesh wound…”

Katria snapped at him trying to brush off his injuries like that. “Like Oblivion it is! We need to get you somewhere for medical treatment, quickly!”

It was fortunate for them that some of the Hold Guards and Imperial soldiers who participated in fighting the dragon had stayed in the area. One of the soldiers ran up to them when he saw Cadmus stumble over. Upon holding a torch over him and seeing how bad the dragon’s bite was, the soldier offered to help get him to a place where he could get his injuries treated.

“There’s a Penitus Oculatus Outpost not too far from here. I’ll help you bring him there.”

She nodded and thanked the soldier, then turned to her companion. “Alright. Just save your strength for now. Hang in there, Cadmus…”

The Imperial pointed at the remains of the dragon, trying to sound as coherent as possible despite being in pain. “Dragon bones… Try to scavenge some dragon bones… ugh… if you can. They have healing properties… argh… Divines know I could use it right now…”

Katria nodded, but just as she was about to get up, she noticed one of the town guards reaching for the tooth. Realizing he was going to attempt to pull it out, she angrily reached out and slapped the man’s hand away.

“Don’t take it out, you fool! He’s going to bleed to death in seconds if you do! Bring him to the outpost and let a healer look at it. Don’t touch anything you don’t have to! Got it?”

Thankfully, the guard was intimidated enough to quickly nod and do as he was told. As the men worked to support the burly Imperial and get him to the outpost, she went for her original goal and dashed towards the dragon skeleton. Not sure what exactly she was looking for and not wanting to waste any time, she scooped up everything she could find in the carcass, took out a cloth bag from her belt satchel and dumped the contents inside. Part of her was kind of stunned at some of the things she saw inside, but she did manage to get some dragon bones and was very glad to have her beautiful Nordic daggers back as well.

Fairly certain that she had found what Cadmus had requested, she then started rushing over towards the guards as they carried her companion to the outpost, clutching the bag with the dragon bones in her arms. Even in the darkness, she could already see a trail of blood on the ground, indicating that the tooth had already shifted in her friend’s abdomen despite the guards and soldiers’ attempts at being careful. Katria felt as if a rock had just dropped into the pit of her stomach.

She could only pray that Cadmus would make it in time…

* * *

The whole group practically burst through the door of the Penitus Oculatus building, startling those who had remained inside. A man in elaborate armor, likely the Commander of the outpost, drew his weapon and approached, only to lower it again when he saw who was coming in.

“Legate Cadmus? What in Oblivion happened to you?”

Katria found herself impatiently answering the question. “Dragon attack. Just outside the village. No time to explain. He needs help. Now!”

The Commander seemed indignant for a moment, but thankfully wasn’t about to argue. He took one look at her companion’s injuries and nodded. “Of course. Put him over on the nearest bed. I’m getting our healer. Try and give him a healing potion in the meantime to dull the pain.”

The people carrying Cadmus were quick to obey. She watched how they moved him over to the nearest soft horizontal surface and laid him down there. The Imperial landed on the sheets with a loud groan, but nonetheless settled in. Katria, in the meantime, looked around and quickly spotted a small health potion.

Without asking, she snatched it, opened it and walked over to her companion to pour it into his mouth. Cadmus took it eagerly, no doubt knowing what awaited him in a few short minutes. So did the rest of the Penitus Oculatus for that matter, who moved in to give him any wine, ale and mead they had available, crushing some blue mountain flowers into it that they brought in from outside. She was pretty sure the mixture was rancid, but the Imperial didn’t at all complain, knowing that the less he felt, the better.

A few of the men started cutting the broken armor off his body and even in his state, she could tell Cadmus bemoaned seeing his Nordic set go. She couldn’t blame him. She had felt just as miserable seeing her own steel armor cut off her in the Temple of Kynareth. Once the broken armor had been removed, however, Katria saw just how horrific the Imperial’s injuries were. The flesh and muscle on his lower torso had been ripped to bloody shreds and twisted shards of metal had gotten lodged deep within the tissue. A large, yellowish tooth was buried all the way into his abdomen, only its torn out roots showing, with dark blood occasionally welling to the surface. Skin had twisted and ripped all around it and the smell was enough to make even the hardiest souls gag.

Soon, the mage was brought in. The elderly Nord woman rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked her new patient over. Even in the light of the lamps and candles, Katria swore the woman lost her appetite.

“Oh dear, I see you met with the business end of a dragon.”

Even though the Imperial was clearly in a lot of pain, he grinned. “Not my first time… I just… hope to survive this one as well… Can you help me there?”

The mage didn’t immediately respond. Instead, she carefully examined the wound. Even though he was no doubt in a world of pain, he waited patiently and after a few moments, the woman smiled.

“You got lucky. It looks like that Nordic steel kept the tooth from piercing any vital organs. I think you’ll be fine with some healing magic and potions. But I’ll have to pull it out of you first.”

For a moment, Katria swore she saw this entire room of grown men visibly wince. She did too. That thing wasn’t just buried in the flesh. It was firmly stuck in there. This was not going to be an easy extraction and even with the better part of several alcoholic beverages down his gullet, Cadmus was going to feel it.

He seemed unfazed or perhaps in too much agony to care about specifics. “Do what you need… I’ll manage. I just can’t guarantee I won’t curse you, your mother and your grandmother in the process.”

The mage chuckled. “My mother and grandmother have been in the grave for years, dear. I doubt they’ll be terribly offended.”

That, however briefly, caused a few chuckles, both from him and the soldiers. The older woman quickly hushed them though, as she quickly grabbed a folded piece of cloth to force into the Imperial’s mouth. He accepted it meekly, understanding that she didn’t want him to accidentally bite his own tongue off, and not protesting as she asked Katria and several of the soldiers to hold down his arms and legs. 

The Nord woman readily obeyed, gripping one of her companion’s arms. Behind her, she could hear the other woman sterilize some tongs with a fire spell and within seconds, the healer was beside the both of them. She gave Cadmus a matter-of-fact look, showing no signs of hesitation about what she was about to do, and frankly, Katria was glad for that.

“Take a deep breath.”

The Imperial clearly took her words to heart and with that final warning, the mage lowered the tongs, pressed them into the flesh, clamped them around the dragon tooth and started pulling.

For the first few moments, Cadmus kept it together surprisingly well. He grunted and groaned a little, but otherwise tried his best to keep still. However, the further out the tooth was pulled, the faster his composure unraveled. It almost looked like the tooth itself was starting to fight back, prolonging his agony. Its jagged edges had hooked deep into the shredded flesh like a saw blade in a piece of meat, and the healer had to twist and turn the tongs regularly just to make some progress. Katria didn’t even want to know how many nerve endings that thing was brushing up against, but her companion’s reaction gave her a good idea.

By now, he was actually starting to scream and jerk and she had to lean down with all her strength to keep him from moving too much. Tears were rapidly running down his reddened face, mixing with the dirt, sweat and blood from the battle. His cries of pain were soon joined by a stream of swears in Cyrodilic and from the looks of the Commander, she could judge they were incredibly creative and profane in nature. Not that she had much time to ponder the exact details, as she and the soldiers fought with all their might to keep this angry, muscular berserker pinned to the bed, praying the mage would hurry up before he could make his own situation worse.

Finally, after several endless minutes of her pulling and prodding, the tooth came out. Its removal was instantly rewarded by a sharp gush of darkened blood. It made the soldiers jump, but the mage just calmly put away the tongs and the tooth before stemming the bleeding with a clean cloth that had been dipped in spirits. She then instantly started to apply a healing spell, closing the wound with speed and precision.

The lack of a sharp object sawing into his insides did wonders for Cadmus’s demeanor. He now lay back quietly, inhaling deeply and making relieved noises. Katria couldn’t blame him. Just glancing at that long, bloodstained tooth with little lumps of viscera on it, which seemed like a mix between a dagger and a long carving knife, made her feel queasy.

If the healer felt sick, on the other hand, she was hiding it well. “It’s out now. After I’ve closed this off, I’ll remove the metal shrapnel. You’ll feel that too, but it’s nowhere near as bad as this.”

The Imperial nodded, only to give her a tired smile. “Can I… keep the tooth?”

The mage gave him an amused smile. “Fancy a souvenir, eh? Alright, I’ll wash it for you. But first, we need to fix you up. And give you a more potent healing potion. You’re going to need it.”

He tried to speak in response, but seemed to have a hard time. Knowing what he was aiming at and sensing how tired he was, Katria felt confident enough to do the talking for him.

“We recovered some bones from the slain dragon. Perhaps we should grind some of it and put it in a healing potion. The story goes that it may accelerate healing.”

The older woman turned to look at her and Katria simply stared back, hoping she had not just said something stupid. She had no real grounds for her claim except Cadmus’s word and while he was not the one to make any false statements or claim authority where he hadn’t, there was a chance he was wrong. What’s more, perhaps this professional healer didn’t like to be told what to do by someone with no training in the field.

Yet after a few moments, the mage gave her a nod. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Dragons are immortals, after all. It stands to reason their physiology carries something beneficial to the mortal races as well. It’s worth a try, provided we properly clean the bones first before grinding them up. And we shouldn’t put in too much, either. In high enough doses, that which cures, can kill.”

Glad she had managed to be of some assistance, Katria didn’t hesitate in handing her a piece of bone. The older woman asked her to please get her apprentice, who was likely asleep at her family’s home. The walk there was easy enough, what with the small village and the mage’s directions, and once the Nord woman explained who had sent her and what was going on, the young Breton quickly slipped into her clothes and followed her to the outpost. Mere moments later, she was mixing the potions that would hopefully help her companion recuperate.

Katria never left the younger woman’s side, eagerly watching the process. She herself had little experience in alchemy and the current events had driven that point home rather painfully. She knew how to fight, how to do research and how to hunt, but she didn’t know all that much about healing, aside from how to disinfect and bandage wounds. Cadmus, whose profession was arguably less cerebral than hers, at the very least knew some spells and had an idea of how to craft a healing potion. That knowledge had allowed him to save her when they first met. Now, it truly hit her that if they had not been near the town when the dragon attack happened, she likely could have done very little to help him...

That sudden thought sent her spiralling. What if he _died_? He survived this brush with the dragon, sure enough, but who knew what other dangers awaited them on their way to find the Aetherium Forge? It was almost certain either of them would get hurt again and if it was him, she might not actually be able to save his life… Her stomach turned at that horrible thought. There was no way in Oblivion that she ever wanted that on her conscience. Not because of his children in Solitude or his status as Dragonborn, or even the fact that he had proven invaluable in their quest to find the Shards. At this point, she realized she didn’t want him to die because he was a good man. He was a good person and a good friend, and possibly even the only one in her life since her late mentor Staubin who had truly been unconditionally kind to her.

That alone made him worthy of her care and affection, although she had already begun to wonder if it was perhaps a little more than that already. By now she could no longer deny that she harbored strong feelings towards Cadmus. As their journey went on, she had grown incredibly fond of him in such a short amount of time. She enjoyed being with him and he made her happy. Perhaps that was only because of what they’d gone through together, and she merely cared about him in a platonic way. Or perhaps she felt the way she did because of something more, something _stronger_. To see him like this, crying and screaming and reeling in pain… just the sight of it was heartbreaking. And the idea that he might actually lose his life due to her, directly or indirectly, was unbearable.

As such, she forced herself to watch the process, meanwhile not speaking so as not to ruin the girl’s concentration. She made note of every ingredient and tried to remember the dosages, taking in this knowledge that she knew might prove vital. Before long, the dragon bones had been ground up into a fine powder, and the assistant carefully began siphoning it into the potion. The moment the powdered dragon bones made contact with the solution, it began to bubble, almost as if it were boiling. When steam began to rise from the liquid, the healer smiled, noting that the potion was complete. She transferred the liquid to a cup, and after letting it cool for a few moments, the mage carefully brought it to Cadmus’s mouth and told him to drink. Immediately, Katria moved to support his head as he drank down the entire solution in just a few gulps.

The dragon bone potion proved to be quite potent, as Cadmus seemed to be in a lot less pain already. Katria swore she could also see his wounds close up quicker under the healing spells and he didn’t need to be held in place anymore as the mage removed the remaining metal shrapnel from his stomach. After about half an hour of intense healing, the mage declared that the wounds were almost fully closed and could be bandaged up after the area was cleaned.

The mage had initially told her apprentice to take care of cleaning the dirt, blood and sweat off Cadmus’s body, but Katria found herself volunteering in her stead. She thanked the Breton woman for helping with the potion and apologized for waking her up in the middle of the night. The girl was thankfully rather nice about it, telling her it came with the job, but was nonetheless happy to go back to her warm, soft bed and leave this task to her. 

Katria soon got to work, taking a cloth and dipping it in a mixture of hot water and spirits and carefully cleaning the grime off her companion’s body. She tried to be thorough but gentle, not wanting to accidentally get dirt on his wounds and potentially cause an infection. As she wiped the blood off his face and removed the dried flecks that had caked on his beard, her eyes looked into his. By now, she could see that he was starting to relax and that the pain was slowly leaving his body. Still, he had a look of sheer exhaustion on his face and his eyes were already halfway closing. He tried to reach out to her, but at this point he could barely raise his hand and his voice was weak.

“Ka…tria…”

She wiped the last bits of blood off his face, her other hand tenderly stroking his short hair as she watched him close his eyes and breathe deeply. This was perhaps the most vulnerable she’d ever seen him… She couldn’t help but wonder if this was how he felt when he found her dying in Arkngthamz, or when her condition had gotten so bad that she nearly didn’t make the trip to Whiterun. Katria didn’t realize there were already tears in her own eyes and as she leaned closer to his face, her voice was nothing more than a gentle whisper.

“Shh. It’s okay. I’m here… Just… save your strength for now…”

She saw how his lips curled into a small smile upon hearing those words. Before she knew it, his body had relaxed completely and he began snoring softly. It seemed the adrenaline had finally worn off and Cadmus had drifted off into a quiet, but deep sleep.

Once his body had been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, Katria assisted the healer as she worked on bandaging up his wounds and bit by bit, the damage the dragon had done was contained. By the time their work was done, it was well past midnight. Katria was fighting to stay awake and at this stage, she was so tired that she wished she could be in as deep a sleep as Cadmus was. The mage took one look at her and instantly noticed her exhaustion.

“You should head over to the Four Shields Tavern, dear. I’ll get some soldiers to move your friend over there as well. I think he will be okay sleeping by himself.”

In any other situation, Katria might have protested at that, but as she tried to get to her legs and found herself swaying, she decided not to argue. Instead, she took a moment to steady herself, gathering whatever conscious thought she still had and turned to the healer.

“I think I will. Thank you, for all your great care.”

She reached for her knapsack and pulled out her coin purse. Once again, she was grateful for Cadmus’s insistence to trade with the Khajiit, as it had left her with a generous amount of gold. She counted out a few hundred septims and offered it to the woman.

The mage smiled. “You are very generous, dear. But I live a comfortable life with a good wage. How about we round it down to one hundred and you give me the remainder of the dragon bones? I didn’t quite realize just how effective they were in medicine.”

Katria gave her a look. “Are you certain? There’s an entire dragon skeleton just outside the town. You can take all of it for free.”

The healer nodded. “Yes, but I would have never considered their use if you hadn’t suggested it. So the least I can do is barter for the new knowledge and means you have provided me. A hundred and whatever bones you have on you and I will consider the debt satisfied.”

Realizing a good deal when she heard one, Katria was quick to concede. She quite happily handed over the money and bones, throwing the dragon scales in just for good measure, and once again thanked the mage for her work. Likewise, the healer gave her the dragon tooth that Cadmus had asked to keep, telling her to keep it safe for him until he woke up. Then, with one last look at her companion, Katria finally gathered the strength to leave the outpost and stumbled towards the inn, determined to get some rest after this eventful night.

Thankfully, the innkeeper had already been informed of the situation by the town guards. She had reserved two adjacent rooms with single beds and was all too happy to lead her to one without requesting payment up front, despite Katria gladly providing it. Within moments of her handing over the coin, Cadmus was carried in on a stretcher by the Penitus Oculatus, followed by the mage, and the innkeeper pointed Katria to her room while she went over to assist her unconscious guest.

As tired as she was, the Nord woman hung back for a bit to witness them carrying her companion over to his room. She watched how everyone worked to carefully roll him onto the bed, placing him on his side for his own safety. The healer checked him over one last time to ensure none of the wounds had opened up, before declaring the situation under control and asking everyone to leave so he could sleep in peace. A part of Katria’s still worried mind urged her that perhaps she should stay with Cadmus throughout the night, but it seemed that the innkeeper caught on to it.

She walked over to her and gave her a stern look. “You go to sleep. I’ll keep an eye on him for as long as needed.”

Again, she was wise enough not to argue. Quietly thanking the woman, she practically lurched into her room. She only kept it together long enough to take off her armor and clothes and change into her sleeping robes, before practically falling onto the bed. As soon as she hit the pile of furs and sheets, her mind immediately sunk into a black void and she found herself experiencing the kind of deep, dreamless sleep she hadn’t felt since her accident in Arkngthamz.

* * *

When Katria awoke the next morning, she still felt groggy. Every part of her body hurt and felt heavy, the delayed onset of muscle soreness finally taking hold of her several hours after the fight with the dragon. She mustered the strength to sit up, rubbed the sleep off her eyes and sauntered over to the washbasin to clean herself. The cold water splashing against her face got rid of whatever sleepiness she still felt, and slowly, she became more alert.

It was there that she realized she should probably check on Cadmus.

She rapidly wiped the water off her face, then opened her door to step into the main room of the inn. She ignored any confused looks from the other patrons and moved over to the room next to hers. The door was open, but just as that fact was about to worry her, the innkeeper called over to her from behind the counter.

“I just checked on him ten minutes ago. He’s sleeping soundly. Though you may want to wake him up for some breakfast. We have fresh eggs, pork belly and bread.”

She smiled. “I’ll let him know, thanks.”

Sure enough, Katria found Cadmus still asleep in bed. He was snoring softly, showing no signs of pain or discomfort. He had even shifted a little in his sleep, without opening any wounds, and everything indicated he had peacefully slumbered throughout the night. An overwhelming sense of relief came over her. She pulled up a chair and sat beside him, letting her companion sleep for a few more minutes before waking him up. Cadmus let out a soft moan as she gently pulled at his shoulder, shifting for a bit before slowly opening his eyes and mumbling. 

“I smell fried eggs…”

Katria caught herself laughing softly. “Well, good morning to you, too. The innkeeper is preparing breakfast.”

Noticing her presence, Cadmus turned his head to the side. He smiled at Katria with half-lidded eyes, still clearly groggy from the alcohol and healing potions. “Hey…”

She replied softly, her fingers caressing his heavily scarred cheek. “Hey, you.”

Katria saw him looking around the room. “How long was I out? And where am I?”

Knowing exactly how he felt, she replied. “About eight hours. We’re at the Four Shields Tavern. You lost consciousness at the Penitus Oculatus Outpost and had to be carried here.”

He let out an embarrassed noise. “Ah… I see. Sorry about that… I hope I wasn’t too heavy…”

His apology had her chuckle a little. “Well, I didn’t carry you myself. Four soldiers brought you here on a stretcher. Also, good news. The healer said your wounds should heal up nicely and we can set off again soon.”

He smiled, relieved. “That’s good to know… I’m not exactly useful to you if I’m bedridden, now am I?”

She smiled. “Yeah… But I also prefer not seeing you sick and miserable.”

Cadmus grinned and reached out, indicating that he wanted to sit up to talk to her. She gladly helped him up, making sure to be gentle in case he still felt some pain. As she was helping him sit up, she noticed the blood starting to dry on the bandages. While gruesome to look at, it also meant that the wound underneath was likely starting to heal. That was a good thing. Still, the bandages were sullied now and even if most of the blood was dry, she didn’t want his wounds to get infected. 

She decided it was better to be safe than sorry, so she quickly washed her hands in the nearby basin, then produced a clean roll of bandages from her knapsack to wrap an additional layer around his stomach. He flinched a little at suddenly being touched, but he soon relaxed again and allowed her to patch him up. In the meantime, she also gave him some water from his traveling flask and he happily drank it down, no doubt feeling parched after all the potions and alcohol that was put into his system the night before. He was mostly quiet while she worked on tending to his wounds, but after a while, the Imperial spoke up.

“I’m… sorry about earlier. You were right. I should have told you the truth about being Dragonborn…”

She shook her head. “It’s alright. I think I overreacted a little back there.”

The Nord woman meant every word of it. In hindsight, it made perfect sense for him not to tell her. After all, she couldn’t think of any occasion where he could have mentioned that in passing and not have her think he was playing some strange prank. One would only believe something like that after seeing it with their own eyes. Still, actually seeing it, seeing myth made flesh as a Nord who was raised with the tale since birth, had rocked her to the core and stimulated the scholar in her. The idea that she might have not known for the entire duration of her journey had been too much to bear.

Thankfully, he seemed to accept her apology and she concentrated on wrapping the bandages around his stomach for a few moments. When she was sure that the bandages weren’t going to come loose, she tied a knot and cut off the rest of the fabric with a dagger, though she still kept her hands pressed against his abdomen out of instinct. She turned to Cadmus again to ask him some more questions.

“How long have you known that you were Dragonborn?”

He thought for a moment. “For a while now. I mentioned how I survived the dragon attack at Helgen. Well… it was only later that I learned that that dragon in particular… was Alduin himself.”

Her eyes widened. “The World Eater…”

He nodded. “I first found out about… _about what I was_ … during an incident near Whiterun over a year ago. There was another dragon attack, at the Western Watchtower. I helped the city guards and the Jarl’s housecarl fight it, and when it had sustained enough injuries and crashed to the ground, I rushed in to finish it off. I guess I was… I was still angry and frustrated at the innocent lives that were lost at Helgen, and I took it out on the dragon. When the beast had finally died, something strange happened. Suddenly, there was this terrible burning sensation, like I was on fire. But at the same time, I felt this… incredible surge of power.”

She thought back to what happened outside of Dragon Bridge. “You… You absorbed the dragon’s soul.”

The Imperial nodded again. “Lydia probably told you about how I became a Thane of Whiterun. I specifically asked her to omit that part of the story. I would not believe it myself if I heard that, even though I’ve lived it.”

Sensing that she was perhaps one of the few people whom he could comfortably discuss this with, she prodded a little further. “And what happened next?”

He continued, almost seeming glad that he could finally share his thoughts on being Dragonborn with someone. “I heard a loud, thunderous voice calling to me from the skies. _Dovahkiin_. I was told to seek the Greybeards in High Hrothgar, and they taught me the Way of the Voice. But… things only got more complicated then, as I had a run-in with these people… the Blades… and I learned of Alduin and his plans to destroy the world we live in. And that I am the one meant to stop him.”

“By the Nine…”

Katria couldn’t think of anything else to say. What _would_ anyone say to that? Nord mythology was full of great stories with heroes and chosen ones, but they were always bold, fierce men and women with large egos, always meant to do things like starting kingdoms or defeating mortal foes. Something that sounded attractive to a people who loved their battles and their glories. It was another thing entirely to have the fate of all existence in your hands. Especially for someone like Cadmus, who seemed to live for happiness rather than a grand destiny.

He seemed tired just talking about it, a far cry from his enthusiasm when talking about other aspects of his life. “Even now, I still haven’t figured out what I should do next. I was preoccupied with the Civil War back then, but now that the fighting is over in Skyrim— for the most part, anyway— I must eventually face my fate. But honestly, I wish I could just have a normal life again. It seems… ever since I discovered I was Dragonborn, I’ve had a tendency to attract all manner of strange and dangerous things.”

A few days ago, Katria would have called him a liar. Yet after what she had seen the previous night, she had to believe he was telling her the truth. In fact, she had already seen evidence of that in Old Hroldan, which after years of being a quiet and relatively mundane inn suddenly found itself with a ghost problem. In fact, the impromptu appearance of the ghost didn’t seem so strange and unexplainable anymore, especially in the context of what she knew now.

“That could also be why that ghost at the Old Hroldan Inn appeared. You are Dragonborn. So was Tiber Septim. Perhaps he sensed a dragon’s soul. That or he sensed that somehow, Tiber Septim— or rather, _Hjalti Early-Beard_ — had returned.”

He nodded. “That was what I suspected, yes. Which is why I was so determined to fulfill the promise to that ghost. Because it was very likely my fault that he came to the inn in the first place. And then… when I did the ritual with him… something strange happened. I found myself in places I’d never been, in battles I’d never fought. It felt as if I were in someone else’s body, too. It was like… like I was reliving the memories of Tiber Septim himself. And that is not even the strangest thing I have experienced these past few months...”

He grew quiet, and Katria could feel there was a somber air about him. It dawned on her just how heavy a burden her companion was carrying. After a few moments of silence, he let out a sigh.

“Honestly… I don’t know _why_ I’m Dragonborn. I’m not even sure what it means to be Dragonborn. I’m a soldier. I know duty and I know how to fight battles, but… Now I’m supposed to stop the world from ending. What am I supposed to make of all this? I never desired power, nor glory, nor fame. I was perfectly content just wandering around Tamriel, helping people with their problems and living a quiet life. I’m no hero… Just someone who can pick up a sword and use it when necessary.”

He paused to drink some more water out of his flask and Katria could only sit there, staring at him. She watched him, this man who had fought and nearly died to save a village from a dragon last night. Who took time out of his day to rid an inn of a ghost and allow said ghost to finally pass on, because he felt responsible. Who bothered to help enough people months into arriving in Skyrim to make a difference, and whom many considered a friend and whose good deeds even made him a Thane in two Holds. A wandering soldier, who came upon a broken, dying woman whom he didn’t know in a Dwemer ruin, and still did everything in his power to save her.

The Nord woman would never claim she knew the will of the Divines. Few could claim such things and most of those who did were charlatans. Still, as she regarded her companion, she felt she knew and she was confident enough to say it out loud.

“Well, if you ask me… I think it _had_ to be you.”

He lowered his flask. “What do you mean?”

She reiterated. “You said it yourself. You don’t desire power, nor glory, nor fame. Maybe that is why the Divines saw fit to grant you with a dragon’s soul. Dragonborns have not always used their power for good. But you don’t want a great destiny. You are the man who can pick up a sword and use it when necessary. And when the world is at stake, perhaps that’s all that’s needed.”

He chuckled, bitterly so. “Like I said, I’m not a hero. Hardly. Soldiers are rarely heroes. We’re the men and women who carry out an unpleasant task in a world where violence is sometimes the only language. There is nothing heroic about fighting the petty wars of emperors and kings or slaughtering frightened Altmer youngsters that the Thalmor throw onto their battlefields. I’ve done both and while it earns you ranks, I doubt it gets you a dragon’s soul for your righteousness.”

Katria shook her head, not quite willing to accept such a cynical view. “I think you might be selling yourself short. You say you’ve done many terrible things, but at the same time, you’ve done a lot of good as well. _I_ can attest to that, at least. You brought me back from the brink of death. You took care of me even when there was nothing you could gain from it personally. And I bet you would’ve done the same for someone else, too. I’ve spent enough time with you to _know_ you’re a good person. You help people because it’s the right thing to do, and because you…”

She smiled at him. “Because you have a kind heart. And you kept that kindness, despite seeing the worst life has to offer. Few people do and even fewer choose to fight because of it. If I were to decide a mortal’s soul, I’d say it’s those people who are worthy of a dragon’s soul.”

The Imperial fell silent for a few moments, seemingly allowing her words to sink in. Katria kept looking at him, wanting him to know that she meant what she said. She had every intention of supporting Cadmus, not because he was Dragonborn, but because he was her friend and she cared about him.

After a while, he smiled back. “Thank you… for having faith in me.”

His words sounded warm and sincere, and there was almost a certain innocence in the way he spoke. It was almost as if this was perhaps the first time he could really talk about the strange turn his life had taken, at least to someone who didn’t have an active stake in it. Deep down, she was glad for that. That even in a small way, she could repay his endless kindness.

Katria could feel the smile on her face grow wider. “You’re welcome.”

Cadmus grinned sheepishly, briefly glancing at his bandaged stomach. “And thanks for taking care of me. I know I was a bit of a handful last night…”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “You had a seven-inch long dragon tooth being pulled out of your stomach. Honestly, I’ve seen other men whine like babies over far less severe injuries.”

She reached out to carefully touch his wrapped abdomen, as memories from the night before started coming back and images of him battered, bloody and writhing in pain on the bed flashed in her mind. And then, there was the thought of her not being able to do anything should he get seriously injured again in the future… 

The idea terrified her, but she had already resolved not to make her fears a reality. For now, she was simply thankful that her friend was alright; that he was well on the road to recovery and would be back to his normal self again soon. That he was here, sitting mere inches from her, with that trademark smile on his face that always put her at ease. Just the sight of him was enough for that pleasant warmth to return to her body, and she could almost feel tears welling up again from the small bit of happiness she felt at this moment. She looked Cadmus straight in the eyes as she muttered softly to him.

“I’m… glad I didn’t lose you.”

As she said those words, Katria didn’t even notice how her fingers languidly trailed upwards from his bandaged stomach to his bare chest. Cadmus was a bit startled by this at first and she could feel his heartbeat growing faster, but he didn’t protest. She had to admit it felt pleasant to touch him. She couldn’t remember the last time she had experienced any sense of closeness with another person, platonic or otherwise, and right now, she felt she craved that kind of contact more than ever.

Perhaps she was simply experiencing a surge of leftover emotions from the events of the previous night, and the stress and anxiety was having a delayed effect on her. It didn’t matter, as all she knew was that she was happy to be with Cadmus right now, and that his presence comforted her. Her eyes met his and they simply looked at each other in near silence, where nothing could be heard but the sound of their soft breathing. It was a strangely intimate moment, and before long Katria felt her own heart racing, too. Without fully realizing it, she was already beginning to lean in closer when the sound of his voice snapped her out of it.

“Katria…?”

It suddenly dawned on her just how awkward and inappropriate the situation was quickly getting, and she promptly pulled her hands away from his chest and looked away. He almost seemed disappointed by it as well, but she was not quite sure if she was just imagining that. Flustered, she immediately changed the topic, all while avoiding eye contact.

“Um… speaking of the dragon tooth! The healer gave it to me for safekeeping. It’s in my knapsack; I can give it to you after breakfast.”

That seemed to revert him back to his old self. “Oh… right. Thanks. So, shall we have some breakfast then? I’m pretty sure my family has already eaten by the time we get to Solitude, so...”

The Nord woman nodded, eager to forget all about the awkwardness from five seconds ago. “Can you stand? Or walk for that matter?”

Without seemingly thinking about it, Cadmus decided to test that theory and rose from the bed. Almost on cue, she reached out, trying to steady him, terrified he might just fall forward and become acquainted with the stone floor. The Imperial’s legs held just fine, however, and she found herself letting go of him again in embarrassment.

He, on his end, didn’t seem to mind much. “Well, the wound still stings a bit, but I think I’ll be alright. Especially with some fried eggs in my stomach. So, give me a second to get dressed and then we can eat?”

She nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you in a bit.”

With that, she rushed off to her own room, again ignoring the other patrons, and quickly put on some actual clothes as well. She grabbed the tooth, as well as the extra bag with the other things she had salvaged from the dragon, and then made her way to the main area again. She then met Cadmus at one of the tables, where he was already in the process of ordering a big, hearty breakfast. She joined him, craving some fresh food as well, and soon, the two of them were just eating contentedly. The pair feasted on fried eggs and pork belly with bread and goat cheese, determined to make up for a missed dinner.

It was only after finishing his breakfast when Cadmus spoke again. “After this, I should head back to the Penitus Oculatus Outpost. Settle my debt with the healer.”

Swallowing a chunk of bread, Katria shook her head. “No need. I already squared it with her. She even gave me a discount of sorts due to your little tidbit about the dragon bones, so thanks for that. I guess they’ll be using up that entire skeleton now over the course of the next few weeks. Oh, and before I forget, here’s your tooth.”

He took it from her with a chuckle. “Thanks. So, you took just the bones then?”

She paused for a moment. “No, I also took some of the scales, which I paid the healer with, too. There was also a lot of strange stuff in its stomach area. I haven’t really had a chance to sort though everything yet since I just grabbed everything I could at the time.”

He moved his empty plate to the side. “Well, we have time now. Shall we have a look?”

She nodded, grabbing the bag and pulling the first thing she felt out of it. “Well, we’re starting off with the head of a steel war axe… No doubt that got in there because some poor soul got devoured whole…”

He made a wry expression. “Likely. Still, the blacksmith in Solitude will probably pay well for it. What with the Legion being busier than ever. Any weapon he doesn’t have to smith from scratch is an order easier filled. What else?”

She reached in again, her face lighting up. “Now this is more like it! Gemstones! Let’s see, I already see an amethyst, a ruby and this may even be a diamond! I’m pretty sure someone will want those, right?”

He grinned. “Likely. Even now, the rich like to pay for precious stones to show off their wealth. And if not them, the Khajiit caravans are always glad to get their hands on some set pieces for their jewelry.”

Again, she grabbed the nearest thing she felt. “Ooh, even better. Septims! Let’s see… One, two, ten, twenty… I’d say that’s 100 gold for us each? Not bad. Means I’ve recuperated the costs of your care as well.”

He smirked, a joking tone to his voice. “I’m glad you have been financially compensated for my suffering. So, was that everything?”

She shook her head, feeling one last, rather heavy item. She found her hands brushing up against cool, dented metal, until she reached an edge she could hold onto. She pulled it out and studied the item, showing a frown.

“Hm, just a helmet. Sure, it’s Ebony and all, but look at the state of it. Dents, scratches and teeth marks all over it. No smith will want it except for scrap metal…”

All of a sudden, she could see how Cadmus’s eyes lit up at the sight of the helmet. He reached over, grabbing it excitedly. He turned it around in his hands, examining it from every angle. The biggest smile was on his face and when he spoke, it was with almost child-like glee.

“This is perfect.”

Katria gave him a strange look. She wondered what it was about this old, battered helmet that made him so enthusiastic. She supposed he might have a thing for Ebony, as he had a sword and bow from the same make. Still, those were of excellent quality and had likely been forged by the finest smiths. This thing looked like a butterfly could break it.

“Why? It looks like it’s nearly falling apart. I doubt it’ll offer much protection.”

He didn’t seem at all offended. “Well, it won’t now. But you’d be surprised how much you can still repair old, worn and battered things. And this is just what I needed to finish my little project back home in Solitude.”

She shrugged, still amused by his child-like enthusiasm. “Alright then, if you insist on keeping it.”

Within the next hour or so, the pair had packed all their things and were ready to set out again. Cadmus was feeling much better, though he still had to walk a bit slower and more carefully than usual due to his injuries. Before leaving the village, the pair decided to gather supplies for the journey to Solitude. 

Katria bought some minor healing potions as well as more arrows from a peddler whom they’d learned was also staying at the Four Shields Tavern. Cadmus was looking for a temporary replacement for his armor, but couldn’t find anything satisfactory in the merchant’s wares. Eventually, they had managed to buy a gambeson with extra thick padding from the Penitus Oculatus’ armorer. It’d have to do until they reached Solitude, which thankfully wasn’t far.

At around half past ten in the morning, they finally set off for the road to the capital of Skyrim. After the events of the last week or so— the expedition to Arkngthamz, the incident with the ghost at Old Hroldan Inn, finding two out of four Aetherium Shards, and fighting off and killing a dragon, Katria was honestly looking forward to having some time off. Plus, it would be nice to visit Solitude again after a long time, especially now that the Civil War was over.

She cast a sidelong glance at her companion as they walked eastward across the forested roads. She thought about how, in a span of two months, he had gone from a mere stranger— a passerby who saved her from death; to an acquaintance who offered her a temporary home in Whiterun and whom she exchanged letters with; to a trusted travel companion; and now, a dear friend. And after the events of the previous night, she herself was also now Cadmus’s trusted confidant, who was privy to his personal thoughts and feelings about being Dragonborn and the fate that came with it.

It was still uncanny just how close the two of them had gotten in such a short period of time. And even though Katria was starting to wonder whether her feelings towards Cadmus were more than just platonic in nature, there was one thing she knew for certain. Regardless of the nature of their relationship at the moment, now that she knew of his true identity, she would wholeheartedly support him as much as he supported her. Simply because she cared about him, and he was important to her.

But for now, as Katria saw the silhouette of the city looming in the distance, she had other things on her mind. The last two Aetherium Shards were still out there, and she would need to further develop her skills to find them, let alone the Forge itself. Besides, she wasn’t planning to simply sit around and relax while she was in Solitude. As such, she walked the path to Skyrim’s capital confidently, assured in the knowledge that for once in her life, there was no way for her to go but up.


	8. Downtime in Solitude

It was good to be home again.

The city guards happily greeted Cadmus as he and Katria made their way through the gates of Solitude. It was sunny that day— of course, the air was still a bit chilly due to it already being the month of Sun’s Dusk, but the strong sunlight balanced it out quite nicely. Besides, he would feel warm enough once he was within the walls of his own house again.

He was in high spirits as the gates closed behind him and he found himself looking upon the familiar sight of the town square. The marketplace was filled with both residents and travelers, buying and selling all sorts of wares, fresh produce, meats and fish. The Winking Skeever was as lively as ever and he could already see wealthy folk line up to buy fine clothing at Radiant Raiment. Solitude truly was the jewel in Skyrim’s crown and he was glad to live here.

“Papa!”

The Imperial lit up as he heard the voices of his daughters. They came rushing from the crowd, where they were no doubt playing with the other children of the city, and practically leaped into his arms. He tried his best to avert the impact, hoping to spare his stomach, but he nonetheless took them in his arms and held them close.

“Hello, my little sabre cubs! It’s so good to see you!”

The girls laughed, wrapping their arms around his neck in a tight hug. He cherished it immensely. Sometimes, he really wished he could be home more. While both Lucia and Sofie handled life in his absence extremely well, with Jordis and several others to care of them, he didn’t like being away from them for long stretches of time. Every day, they were getting bigger and it was a delight to see them grow into smart, capable and fierce young ladies that made him immensely proud. Sometimes, he loathed the fact that being Dragonborn took him away from his family so much. Still, he couldn’t change much about that and as such, he always resolved to make the most of the time he had with them.

“You smell burnt. Did you fight a dragon again?”

Sofie, his eldest, was the first to speak up, wrinkling her nose and making sniffing sounds. It was true that he hadn’t yet had a chance to bathe since the dragon attack and still smelled like fire. Cadmus merely chuckled, however, as he pulled the dragon tooth out of his belt pouch and presented it to his daughters.

“Yes, I did. Just last night. And I got a souvenir from it, too. Now, I only have one, so you’re going to have to share, okay?”

The girls let out squeals of excitement. “Oh, wow! A dragon tooth! Thanks Papa!”

He watched how Lucia, his youngest, tugged on her sister’s sleeve. “So Sofie, how do you wanna share the tooth?”

The older girl thought for a moment. “Hmm… How about… I have it on Morndas, Middas and Fredas, and you can have it on Tirdas, Turdas and Loredas? And… we can both have it on Sundas?”

The younger one grinned excitedly. “Okay, we have a deal!”

Cadmus smiled, glad to see his daughters settling their ownership of the tooth so diplomatically. They had been taking his lessons to heart, it seemed. It was then that he saw Katria from the corner of his eye and thought now would be a good time to introduce their house guest.

“By the way, this is Katria. She’ll be staying with us for a few weeks.”

The Nord woman took this as her cue to approach and he pointed to both his children. “Katria, these are my daughters. This is Sofie, and this is Lucia.”

His companion gave them a smile. “Nice to meet you. Cadmus has told me about you.”

Lucia responded with a polite greeting of her own, only to turn to him. “Is she the lady who fell, Papa? The one you saved?”

Cadmus could feel Katria give him a look, somewhere between surprise and bemusement. Still, he confirmed it, much to his little girl’s delight. Sofie, however, quickly piped up with an observation of her own.

“She’s reeeeaaaally pretty!”

At that, Katria actually laughed and the Imperial, deciding his children had embarrassed him enough for one day, decided to steer the conversation in another direction.

“Alright, we’re heading home, so I can show Katria to her room. If you want to come along, that’s fine. Or if you want, you can play until dinnertime. Your choice.”

The girls thought for a moment. “Can we play a bit more? We were in the middle of a treasure hunt wIth the others.”

He nodded. “Alright then, I’ll see you two at dinnertime. I’m thinking of making some flatbread tonight. How does that sound?”

His daughters responded unanimously. “Yay, flatbread!”

With that, the children ran off and he saw how Katria gave him a confused look. “What’s flatbread?”

Realizing that his years of traveling had likely left him with a more diverse diet than his companion, he chuckled. “Ah, it’s a recipe from Cyrodiil. I like to cook meals from my homeland from time to time.”

She looked at him the same way as when she first learned he was Dragonborn. “You know how to cook?”

He actually laughed at that. “Well, I had to learn how to keep myself from starving these last twenty years. It’s a skill that I’m quite proud of actually, and I enjoy spending time in the kitchen when I can. Also, wandering around Tamriel for nearly a decade helped me learn a good number of recipes.”

The Nord woman smiled. “In that case, I’m looking forward to trying out those recipes, then.”

As the pair walked through the streets of Solitude, Cadmus happily talked about all the points of interest in the city, talking about its rich history and its efforts to recover from the Civil War. He also gave her a rundown of the important people in this city and especially which ones to steer clear from, such as the sleazy Thane Erikur or the troublemaking Argonian pirate Jaree. Katria seemed a bit overwhelmed by the bustling city at first, but Cadmus patiently guided her through the winding streets and wasn’t too long before they were in his home neighborhood.

“My house is the next one over. Right this way.”

He guided her over to Proudspire Manor and walked up the stairs on the side of the building. He grabbed his key and pushed it into the lock. The door immediately clicked open and he stepped through, motioning his companion to follow him. Almost immediately, a young female voice greeted him.

“I trust you’re not planning any trouble. What can I do for you, friend?”

He grinned at his housecarl’s playful sarcasm. “Hello to you too, Jordis.”

The blonde woman grinned back. “Welcome home, Cadmus. Back from your business in The Reach?”

He nodded. “For the time being. I’ll be staying in Solitude for the next few weeks, at least. Oh, and this is Katria. She will be our guest.”

Jordis smiled. “Are you the woman he saved in Arkngthamz? Nice to finally meet you! I’m glad to see you recovered from that ordeal. I’m Jordis, by the way, Cadmus’s housecarl.”

Katria gave her a friendly greeting in return, only to suddenly be interrupted by a loud barking sound. It was then that Meeko, the family dog, came barging into the living room and practically pounced on Cadmus. He only just barely caught the large wolfhound from colliding with his abdomen and landed on the floor. Even so, he wasn’t upset at all, only happy to be reunited with his pet again.

“Well hello there, Meeko! Did you miss me? Awww, who’s a sweet baby boy?”

Meeko clearly basked in the attention, barking enthusiastically and happily licking Cadmus’s face, and it was only after several seconds when he noticed Katria’s presence. Thankfully, the wolfhound didn’t bark or growl at her, but instead leaned forward on his front paws, his rear high up in the air and his tail wagging excitedly. To the Imperial’s surprise, his companion actually crouched down and held out her hand, which Meeko happily sniffed and licked. Less than half a second later, he had placed his paws on her shoulders and began licking her on the face as well. 

The Nord woman didn’t seem to mind, and in fact was smiling broadly. “You didn’t tell me you had a dog! I love dogs!”

The Imperial grinned as he wiped his face. “Yes, this is Meeko. He seems to like you.”

As the wolfhound went on to greet his new best friend, however, Cadmus quickly caught another ball of fluff speeding his way. He smirked, reaching down to pick up Kit, the other family pet, as he jumped into his arms for a few cuddles of his own. The red fox playfully nibbled his fingers as he did so, practically demanding to be held like a baby as the Imperial stroked his fur and scratched him under his chin.

The Nord woman stared at the whole scene with curiosity and he chuckled. “Oh, and this is Kit. Our other pet. He just wandered in here one day and Meeko and the children liked him, so now he’s part of the family. Great mouse catcher, too.”

She smirked. “You’ve got quite a colorful household, it seems.”

Cadmus smiled, gently putting Kit back down on the floor. “Yes, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Now, I think that’s all the introductions… Shall I show you to your room?”

She thought for a second. “Yes, that would be great. I’d like to put my stuff down first.”

The Imperial found that a very reasonable request. As such, he guided her up the stairs to the second floor. From there, he pointed to the three rooms.

“That one is the girls’. The middle one is mine. You can stay in the upper guest bedroom, which is the one adjacent to mine. Why don’t you go ahead and put your things down first? I’ll wait by the door.”

Katria took a few moments to process the multitude of bedrooms, but quickly recovered as she walked into the assigned space. He watched her look around for a moment, eyeing the large bed, the fireplace and the bathtub with a mixture of disbelief, amazement and glee. After a few seconds, she composed herself again. She put her belongings down on the bed and tried to walk out with a more dignified demeanor.

“There, put my stuff away. Now… I’m curious to see what your life in Solitude is like.”

He showed an awkward little smile at that. She was not the first person to be surprised by his most permanent home in Skyrim. It was already grand and lavish by design and his attempts to turn it into a cozy place with facilities for all his pursuits had done nothing to make it look any more modest. Even now, he desperately hoped that what he was doing didn’t come across as bragging of any kind.

He watched her look around the house, seeming rather overwhelmed. “This place looks big enough to get lost in.”

Cadmus sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “Trust me, I got lost quite a few times myself when I first moved here.”

The Nord woman tilted her head to the side quizzically. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you come to own this house in the first place? Was it due to your rank in the Imperial Legion?”

He nodded. “Yes, I was awarded it for my part in capturing several important enemy forts during the Civil War. You could also say it was another of General Tullius’s apology gifts for the… _incident_ with my rank… Honestly, I think it was a bit too much. I mean, if he had to get me a house, something smaller would’ve worked, too… Still, you’re not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth and Solitude was a safe place for my daughters to live, so I figured I might as well use all the extra space. Over time, I had renovations done and was able to turn it into a nice home.”

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, she nodded, then gave him a smile. “Do you mind giving me a tour of your home?”

The Imperial smiled. “It would be my pleasure.”

He showed her the patio first, which they reached via a door on the first floor. He mentioned how he liked to grow herbs and other plants for alchemy and pointed towards his little greenhouse in the corner. In the center of the patio was a small table with two chairs, where he liked to have an afternoon coffee or spend cool summer nights reading. He and Katria then walked over to the balcony area, where they were treated to a beautiful view of the Sea of Ghosts.

Their next stop was the kitchen— one of Cadmus’s favorite places in the house. Frankly, the kitchen seemed to be the entire household’s favorite place in the house, as he’d seen Sofie, Lucia and sometimes even Jordis sneaking in to have a quick taste of the meals he was preparing while he wasn’t looking. Meeko and Kit loved the fact that they could have all the leftover meat and bones they wanted. He talked fondly about his favorite recipes and that recently, he had also started teaching his daughters how to cook.

After a few minutes of waxing poetic over the nuances of baking crostata, Cadmus suddenly realized that he might be rambling on too much about a topic that his companion might not necessarily care about. Katria, however, didn’t seem to mind and was quite happily listening to him talk. Honestly, he was simply relieved that the Nord woman didn’t think any less of him for taking on pursuits that weren’t considered conventionally masculine in Skyrim.

From the kitchen, he led her back to the living room and then down the stairs into the basement. There, he showed her two additional bedrooms— one belonging to Jordis and the other a smaller guest room, as well as a small armory, an arcane enchanter and an alchemy table. As they made their way through the large chamber, Cadmus also briefly mentioned that the toilet was in the basement as well.

Lastly, he showed Katria around the yard, which was where he grew vegetables and kept chickens for eggs. He had also built a small workshop of sorts there— he had a workbench, a tanning rack, an anvil, a grindstone, as well as a miniature blacksmith’s forge that he had built out of quarried stone and mortar, and powered with coals, fire salts and a pair of bellows.

Katria eyed the small forge curiously. “So is this where you’ve been working on this personal project of yours?”

Cadmus nodded. “Mm-hmm. And thanks to that helmet you found for me, I should be able to complete it very soon.”

His companion grinned. “Let me guess. A full set of Ebony armor then?”

There was no point denying it and the Imperial grinned back. “It’s that obvious, isn’t it? The thing is, simply buying the armor is quite expensive, if you can even find it at all, and many smiths are too busy with large orders from the Legion to smith you anything. I was lucky enough to find a pair of old gauntlets in a bandit hideout one day and decided to hold on to them. Then during one of my missions, I came across a battered old pair of Ebony boots as well. And… since then, I’d been collecting parts of the armor bit by bit and fixing it up here. Honestly, I’m quite excited to have it finished.”

Katria smiled politely and figuring that she probably wasn’t into smithing unless it involved any Dwarven metals, he decided not to get carried away again. Besides, there were other things he should attend to and he sensed that she was likely as desperate for some rest as he was.

“So, that concludes the tour of the house. I think I’m going to have a bath, get a few hours of shut-eye and then start making dinner. Feel free to explore the place in the meantime. Or get some rest yourself. It’s up to you.”

The Nord woman gave him a gracious nod. “Thank you. For showing me the house. And again, for letting me stay. It’s very kind of you.”

He grinned sheepishly. “Well, it’s cheaper than an inn and there’s more privacy. I’ll see you in a bit. Ask Jordis if you need anything, alright?”

She seemed to take his advice to heart, but he wasn’t at all surprised when she followed him into the house and made her way back to the guest room. He couldn’t blame her. After all, she had told him how she had lived since leaving home, traveling from place to place and staying in whatever meager accommodations she could get. This was probably the very first time she stayed at a nice place and he could understand she wanted to make the most of it.

As such, he simply left her to her own devices, retreating to his own room. He got out of his clothes, carefully removed the bandages which were now caked with dried blood, and started drawing a bath. He soaked in the hot water for several minutes, reveling in the pleasant heat. He then scrubbed himself with soap, being careful not to be too rough around the stomach area. Once he was sufficiently clean, he wrapped fresh new bandages on the properly healing lesions and got into his bed, determined to get a little bit of extra sleep before he would start the task of making dinner.

It was already half past five in the afternoon when Cadmus awoke from his nap. Feeling a lot more energetic and refreshed by being in his own soft, warm and comfortable bed again, he headed to the first floor and moved to the kitchen to start working on a meal. As he made his way there, he found Katria and Jordis sitting at the table, apparently discussing Dwemer ruins in the area. Happy to see that the two seemed to be getting along well, he simply gave them a quick greeting and left them to their conversation, while he got to work creating one of his favorite meals from Cyrodiil.

A decision, he realized an hour or so later, that he perhaps regretted as dinner was finally served.

While Jordis and the kids very much appreciated the meal, Katria seemed to have some reservations. She seemed to like the caprese made with tomato, olive oil and soft cheese well enough, as well as the salad of nuts, eggs, tomato, and greens from his garden. However, she was apparently less taken with the flatbread, poking at it suspiciously and staring at his daughters as they hungrily devoured entire chunks of it. He couldn’t entirely blame her for it. He had grown up eating flatbread all his life, but she was a Nord. To her, it probably looked like the cheese, tomato and meat had a severe accident on the bread.

“Katria, why aren’t you eating your flatbread?”

Sofie’s question clearly made her somewhat uncomfortable. Cadmus was about to step in and tell his children she didn’t need to eat it if she didn’t like it. However, Lucia was way ahead of him.

“Try it! It’s one of Papa’s best dishes!”

Perhaps the pleading faces of his little girls really did the trick, because his companion did finally take a piece and gave it a careful nibble. That quickly turned into an actual bite and soon, she was happily eating the meal same as everyone else. The rest of the dinner went by peacefully with the children dying to hear about his and Katria’s adventures on the road. Thankfully, she didn’t especially mind and soon, his daughters were listening to their stories of Dwemer ruins, ghosts and dragons with starry eyes.

An hour after dinner, Cadmus brought the girls to their rooms, tucked them into bed, and when he was certain that the two were sound asleep, he retired to his own chambers as well. He had been reading in front of the fireplace when he suddenly heard a knock on his door. He opened the door, figuring it was Jordis about to inform him that she would be taking Meeko and Kit outside to do their business, since she usually did so around this time. To his surprise, however, it was Katria he saw standing outside his bedroom, and she had an urgent, yet almost embarrassed-looking expression on her face.

He frowned. “Katria? Is something wrong?”

He briefly wondered if she had forgotten where the toilet was located and needed directions. Still, he quickly rejected that idea at her next question.

“Cadmus? Can I come in for a moment?”

The Imperial was puzzled, but nonetheless allowed her into his bedroom. “Sure. Come on in.”

He closed the door behind them, wondering what was on Katria’s mind. He offered her a chair beside him in front of the fire, as well as a cup of warm milk. She took it gratefully, but he could still tell that she seemed awkward and uneasy.

He sat down on his own chair. “So, what’s on your mind?”

She shifted nervously. “I was wondering if… if I could ask you a favor.”

Again, he couldn’t help but notice how nervous she seemed and seeing the events of the last few days, it struck him as odd. “Hmm? What is it?”

Katria was quiet for a moment, almost as if she wanted to abandon the topic entirely, before regaining her composure. “Can you… teach me magic?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Magic?”

She nodded. “Yes. After the dragon attack, I realized that… if anything happens to you while we’re out in the wilderness, or deep inside some Dwemer ruins… there’s not much I can do other than hope we brought enough healing potions. I… I know we Nords don’t think very highly of magic, but I figured it might be time for me to learn at least a basic healing spell. So that I may be more useful if we find ourselves in grave danger again.”

There was a sense of urgency in her voice, and at the same time, he could detect an undertone of regret. Did Katria feel guilty about him getting injured by the dragon? That wasn’t exactly her fault and as far as he saw it, her assistance during the fight had kept him from sustaining anything worse than the bite. And even then, he was hardly an expert at magic himself. While he knew he was competent enough to teach magic to a complete novice if he needed to, he wasn’t quite sure if he was even the right person to ask in the first place.

He tried to voice his concerns as diplomatically as he could. “Well, I’d be more than happy to share what I know, but… wouldn’t you rather have a more experienced mage teach you? I’m not certain I’m… _qualified_ enough. Like I said, I only know a few spells. I’m afraid I can’t really teach you anything beyond what I already know myself.”

She gave him a sharp look. “Exactly. I don’t necessarily need to learn the fancy stuff. Just enough to stay alive. _You_ know enough to stay alive. At least, enough to get me out of a very bad situation and keep me breathing until you were able to get me to the nearest master healer. That seems like a very good place to start.”

Cadmus grew silent for a moment, thinking about the situation carefully. Katria had a point. It was unlikely that she suddenly became interested in learning high-level spells. And even he had to admit that the very basic things he knew had saved his life more than once. There were plenty of situations where he had found himself in danger and miles away from civilization. Knowing the right spell or how to craft the right potion or even just knowing which plants you could safely eat could often mean the difference between life and death.

It was there that he realized he had never actually thought about that. He primarily started learning these particular skills because they interested him, but only now did it occur to him that they likely helped him survive this long. In which case, he could definitely understand just why Katria was eager to learn. Seeing how he was just as dependent on her during this trip, it would probably help if they both knew what to do when the worst came to pass.

That solidified his decision. “Alright. I’ll teach you magic.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Really? You mean it?”

The Imperial smiled. “Of course. We can start tomorrow if you’d like.”

She seemed flustered, but genuinely happy. “Thank you! Ah… I was so sure you’d turn me down… I’ll do my best! You won’t regret it, I promise!”

Her excitement was almost infectious, and he found himself smiling more as the conversation went on. “Were there any spells in particular that you wanted me to teach you?”

She thought for a second. “Well, a healing spell, definitely. And, maybe Candlelight? So we both have a reliable light source in the dark. And, let’s see… Maybe Telekinesis as well? That’s proven to be quite useful in the past.”

Cadmus chuckled, amused by her sincerity and enthusiasm. “I can do that.”

Katria smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. “Thank you again… for agreeing to do this for me. I was afraid you’d think I was trying to take advantage of your hospitality. I mean, you’ve done so much for me already…”

He shook his head, reassuring her. “Think nothing of it. You watch my back, I watch yours, right?”

The smile on her face widened. “Yeah… We are a team, after all.”

The Imperial laughed, then took a sip of his drink. “Indeed. And we’ve become quite an effective one. With both of us knowing magic, that should also help make our future expeditions more manageable.”

The Nord woman nodded. “And if we both know healing spells, we’ll probably spend less money on healing potions, too.”

That remark gave him yet another idea. “Actually… You can also do that if you know how to make your own. How about I teach you some alchemy as well? That would be another useful skill to have and we have plenty of time while we’re here. Ah… Only if you want me to, that is.”

She perked up even more at his suggestion. “Honestly, that would be great! The more I know, the better, right?”

Seeing her so receptive of the idea made him smile again. Truth be told, he liked the idea of them spending some time together. After all, they were going to be here for a few weeks. It would be nice if they could do more than simply figuring out their next move in terms of their quest to find the Aetherium Forge.

She stayed in his room for another hour after that, as they talked through the basics of training. He tried to prepare her the best he could, trying to explain some of the theoretics about ultimately practical subjects and teaching her some of the terms. She seemed to absorb it pretty well, but seeing that it was late, he decided that tomorrow would be early enough to see what she had retained. Even so, she was happy when she left to sleep and so was he, curling up in his bed and experiencing a wonderful, quiet slumber in the safety of his own home.

* * *

The following morning, Cadmus gave Katria her first lessons in alchemy. After having breakfast and setting the girls up with their tutor, he took Katria to his small alchemy station in the basement, where he had already laid out some ingredients on the table. He offered her a seat next to him as he explained how to operate an alchemy laboratory. She proved to be quite the diligent student and was enthusiastically taking notes and asking questions throughout his “lecture”. Of course, her diligence and eagerness to learn didn’t surprise the Imperial at all, since her passion for knowledge helped shape her into the Dwemer scholar she was now.

After talking about the basic principles of alchemy, Cadmus decided it was time for a practical exercise. He took some blue mountain flowers and wheat out of his storage shelves, then grabbed a mortar, pestle, and an empty glass flask and presented the items to Katria.

“Let’s start off with a very basic healing potion. It’s not particularly potent, but still quite useful to have on hand for first aid treatment. The one I’ll be showing you how to make is mostly made from blue mountain flowers and wheat— two very common ingredients that you can easily find all over Skyrim— combined with this base alcohol and oxymel solution.”

Katria interjected. “Sorry, what’s an ‘oxymel’?”

“Ah, sorry… it’s a mixture of honey and vinegar. Don’t worry, you usually don’t need to make your own from scratch since most alchemy stations made for public use— like say, at an apothecary or an inn— already have them on hand in the bottom cupboards.”

She nodded, jotting down notes in her journal. “Alright, noted.”

“The next thing we need to do is heat up the stove for the retort and the condensers— those are the little glass jars you see over there— which contain alchemical solvents that actually give the potions their restorative properties. Ah… feel free to interrupt me at any time if you think I’m going too fast, alright?”

“Don’t worry, I’m following along just fine. So… what next?”

“While we wait for everything to heat up, we can go ahead and start grinding up the blue mountain flowers and wheat, after which we’ll start to slowly mix it into our base solution of alcohol and oxymel.”

She held up the mortar and pestle as she ground the flowers and wheat together into a fine powder. “Like this?”

He gave her an affirmative look. “Yes, perfect. Now, just pour the mixture into the topmost retort. After that, we’ll have to wait a bit for the liquid to boil, evaporate, and condense into the other two flasks, mixing with the solvents. Once everything has collected in the receptacle in the middle, all that’s left to do is wait for the potion to cool and for it to turn into a reddish color. That’s when you know that the chemicals are having the correct reaction and the healing potion is a success.”

The Nord woman did as she was instructed. “Alright, that makes sense. Healing potions are usually red, and from what I’ve seen at alchemist shops, Magicka potions are blue and stamina potions are green, correct?”

“That’s right. Of course, there are other types of more specialized potions, but for now we’ll just concentrate on health potions since those are the most useful.”

“Okay… That’s pretty straightforward. I think I’m getting the hang of this!”

After a few minutes, the liquid began to turn a deep red color in the receptacle. Once it had cooled sufficiently, Katria took an empty flask and filled it up with the created potion. She held it in front of the light, examining it closely.

She gave him a look. “It definitely looks like a health potion, but how do we test if it actually works?”

Cadmus thought for a moment. He needed to find a way to demonstrate the potion’s regenerative properties, but wasn’t quite sure how. He looked around and saw one of the small paring knives that he used for taking the bark off certain ingredients.

“Well, only one way to find out.”

Katria seemed to understand what he was insinuating and while she was a bit apprehensive at first, she realized that Cadmus wouldn’t have suggested it if he didn’t know what he was doing and quietly nodded. After making sure the knife was clean, he made a small cut on his thumb and, once it had started bleeding, he brought the flask of potion to his mouth and took a sip.

A few seconds passed and soon, the open cut on his thumb began to close itself, with new skin growing over the damaged one. The blood on the edges of the cut then started to rapidly boil and evaporate, leaving behind only a few wisps of steam and flecks of dried blood. Cadmus took a damp cloth and wiped his thumb, revealing only a thin white scar where the cut was previously. He looked at his companion and beamed.

“Congratulations, Katria… Your first healing potion.”

Her look of utter happiness made him feel warm all over, and he couldn’t help but remember the first time that he managed to successfully complete a potion. He’d been a teenager and had taken an interest in the work of a healer in his unit at the Legion. The Argonian woman, Walks-Many-Miles, had mostly been amused by his many questions, but she’d been happy to teach him on the days she had time to spare. She’d been a tough but ultimately effective and encouraging teacher, and he supposed the old Argonian might like the fact that he’d learned enough to help himself, to the point that he could now pass on the knowledge.

He also hoped he could do the same when it came to harnessing Magicka.

That afternoon, after lunch, the two of them focused on magic spells. He’d brought his companion out to the patio, so they could practice in safety. That mention alone seemed to worry her, though Cadmus had faith in the fact she would learn quickly enough.

“So, here we are… first magic lesson. How are you feeling, Katria?”

She stared at him as if there was an Imp climbing out his shoulder. “Honestly, I’m feeling quite nervous right now.”

He gave her an understanding nod. “It’ll be alright, just take a deep breath. Here, how about we do it together? One, two…”

He and his companion both inhaled and exhaled at the same time. Cadmus knew how it felt to learn magic for the first time, and he tried to be as patient and understanding as he could and help Katria shake off her nervous energy. As such, he started by explaining the first things he himself had learned, both from his tutor in Cyrodiil and the mages he’d worked with at Winterhold.

“A mage from the College of Winterhold once told me, _‘The first thing to understand is that magic is volatile and dangerous by nature, and unless it is controlled, it can and will destroy you.’_ That is the key word here: _control_. The crux of learning how to handle magic is to learn control. To learn control, we have to start from the bottom and focus on only casting a spell at a quarter— maybe even just a tenth of its full capacity. From there, we can slowly work our way up incrementally.”

What he got in return was a very confused stare. “But… I’ve never done magic in my life. How can I learn to control something I don’t know?”

Even now, that sounded oddly alien to him. Of course, he knew of the natural distrust the Nords held towards magic, but it was such a stark contrast to his own people that it was sometimes hard to process. To the Nibenese Imperials, using magic was practically second nature, something most of them did in some capacity from the moment they walked and talked. Katria’s people, on the other hand, could sometimes go their entire life without casting a single spell and as such, he figured he’d best start at the very beginning.

“That’s the thing. You won’t be casting any spells just yet. First, we need to make sure you can safely channel the Magicka in your body.”

“And… how do I do that?”

“Well, it might sound overly simple, but… you just close your eyes… and breathe.”

Katria closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was still clearly apprehensive, however. “How is closing my eyes and breathing going to help me channel Magicka?”

“It will, first and foremost, help you concentrate. You first need to establish some form of attunement with not just your physical, but also your mental environment in order to tap into it. Magicka is inherently tied to your life force, but it is also governed by intelligence and willpower. And you happen to possess both traits in abundance, so I have no doubt you can do this.”

He saw how her lips curled into a smile even as she was trying to focus. That was a good start. If he could instill confidence in her and give her positive reinforcement, then the chances of her successfully channeling Magicka would be exponentially higher. He decided to explain further.

“No one really knows for certain what Magicka is. Some say it’s the leftover life force of living beings who have died, which then gets released into the world. Others say it is the energy left behind by Magnus as he escaped Mundus. Either way, it is an energy that is always present. All we need to do is tap into it. Now, take another deep breath, and I’ll walk you through what I want you to do, alright?”

Katria nodded, then inhaled.

He continued trying to encourage her. “Just relax, Katria. Try to steady your breathing. I want you to focus. Try to imagine a flame in the dark. It’s flickering in the wind, but you want to keep the flame steady. Now, while you picture this in your mind, reach out and open your hand. Try and hold that little flame in your hand to shield it. Feel the Magicka flowing through your body, and concentrate a tiny amount of it into the palm of your hand.”

Again, she breathed in deeply. He watched how she curled and flexed her fingers. Her muscles strained and he could see her mind hard at work, trying to imagine this flame. Perhaps she was thinking of actual flames and he prayed to the Nine that she wouldn’t accidentally summon one such spell and set his patio on fire.

Time slowly ticked by and the hustle and bustle of Solitude lay forgotten in the background as he observed her focusing. Seconds turned to minutes. Slowly, her breathing became more labored and he saw her muscles twitch under the skin. Drops of sweat started to form on her brow until, suddenly, she took in a sharp breath and a strange sound cut through the air.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked down. Cadmus followed her gaze and practically whooped in excitement. Because right there, sitting in her right hand, was a small ball of magical energy, pulsing and swirling at a steady pace.

Happy that she had made such a good start, he walked over to inspect it. As he did, he could feel how Katria was looking at him, then back at the energy, exhibiting the kind of nervousness one would have holding a newborn baby for the first time. She seemed determined not to let the magic dissipate and was clearly beginning to overexert herself. Cadmus noticed how she was starting to lose her balance, and he immediately told her to stop, only to practically rush in to grab her by the shoulders and prevent her from stumbling backwards.

“Katria! Are you alright?”

She nodded, though she seemed rather unfocused as she looked at him. “Y-yeah… Just… a bit dizzy and lightheaded. So… that’s Magicka, huh?”

He smiled. “Yes. You did it. That’s raw Magicka you harnessed. But I think you should take a rest before you do anything else.”

Thankfully, she didn’t argue with that and he sat her down in one of the chairs. He let Katria catch her breath for a moment and offered her a goblet of water. She gladly accepted it and drank all of the water in one swig, like a parched man in a desert. After tapping into the inherent magic within her for the very first time, she was understandably overwhelmed. Still, he was pleased to see her making good progress. He decided that it would be best to take a break for a while so she could regain her energy for the next part of the lesson.

About fifteen minutes later, Katria had recovered. It was then that Cadmus gave her a Restoration spellbook, which she eagerly took. As she flipped through the pages however, her expression changed.

“I think you might have given me the wrong book, Cadmus. This is a spell for healing yourself, not others.”

He shook his head. “I know. But that is where you should start. It’s great to know how to heal others, but you’ll be of little use to any comrades if you are dying yourself. You have to learn to take care of yourself first. Then you can help other people. That should apply to all aspects of your life, really.”

Katria looked at him as if he had just given her the key to existence in saying that and somehow, that made him feel rather sad. Considering Katria’s upbringing, it made sense that the notion of self-sacrifice must have been so ingrained in her that she hadn’t stopped to think of self-preservation in the case of an emergency. At least, not until everyone else was off the proverbial sinking ship before she was. Still, today was a good start.

“Read the spell. Look at the symbols and the words. They are written in such a way that they will find their way into your memory, even if it’s all unfamiliar to you at first. Don’t worry and don’t think too much about it. Just read. The process will guide itself.”

Her face expressed pure skepticism at that, but she still followed his instructions. Once she was confident enough that she had memorized what was in the book, he continued.

“Now, remember what you did earlier? Summoning raw Magicka? Try that again, but try to apply the spell to it. Think of it like letting water flow, but guiding it through a set of pipes to get it where you want it to go.”

He just hoped that this analogy made sense to her. It did to him when he was a child, but that was still different from teaching another adult who had never used any magic until now. That worried him, but she seemed to have taken his words to heart and after taking a deep breath, she stood back to concentrate.

Soon, the raw energy returned to her palm, quicker and easier than it had done on her previous attempt. She focused all her might on keeping it there, forcing the power to remain within her hand. It twisted and bended, almost as if fighting back against her will to shape it to her needs. The process looked exhausting, but Katria didn’t give an inch.

Bit by bit, he watched her contain the energy. Controlling it, modifying it. Using sheer willpower, she commanded the force in her hands to become stable, to submit to her whim. Second by second, she seemed to gain more leverage on it, until finally, that colorless ball of energy started to turn gold.

Then, without warning, it seemed to jump off her hand and started swirling all around her. It seemed to seep into her skin, seemingly causing her no pain as she showed no signs of discomfort. There it stayed, moving in consistent patterns, creating a beautiful spectacle of light and unnatural sound. It looked and sounded every bit like a healing spell should. Still, there was only one way to know for sure.

“How did it feel?”

She opened her eyes again, seeming amazed. “It felt… pleasant. That’s the best way I can describe it. Like the feeling of sitting in front of the fire with a warm blanket on your shoulders after you’ve been out in the snow. Or… like a cool damp cloth on your forehead when you have a fever. It just felt… _really nice._ ”

He nodded his head and smiled. “What you’ve just experienced is the most basic level of healing. _Comfort_. A healing spell doesn’t just exist to treat physical injuries, it also serves to soothe and reassure the recipient. Since that is exactly what you felt, we know that you were able to successfully cast the spell on yourself.”

She rubbed her chin in thought. “Fascinating… I assumed healing spells were just the magical equivalent of a potion, but now that you say that, it makes sense. I remember… when you first used a healing spell on me in Arkngthamz. And when Danica treated me at the Temple of Kynareth. It didn’t just feel like my injuries were being healed. It’s just like you said… I felt like I was also being comforted.”

He nodded again. “Exactly. So yes, you just performed your first healing spell. Congratulations.”

She grinned. “And here I thought magic was all about setting things on fire or shooting lightning at people.”

Cadmus snickered. “It’s a bit more nuanced than that. I have to say though, I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen you do so far. Especially for someone who’d never done magic before. You’re quite the quick learner.”

The Nord woman beamed. “Well, it helps that I have an amazing teacher.”

He felt at least a little embarrassed at that. Cadmus considered himself an adequate mage at most, but he doubted anyone would ever offer him a teaching position at the College of Winterhold. She could definitely do better there, but perhaps the fact that he could explain things to her in absolute layman’s terms— the way he had learned himself— was preferable to trying to understand the complicated, confusing and sometimes contradictory legends about Magnus and the Clever Craft.

For the next hour or so, Katria continued to practice the spell a few more times. In her own words, she wanted to know that she really could properly cast the spell on her own and that the first time wasn’t just a fluke. The Imperial agreed, and continued to supervise his companion. He observed how the healing spell lasted a few seconds longer each time she cast it, indicating that Katria was slowly improving in her overall control of magic. After several more cycles of this, she turned to him again, confidently so.

“I… I want to see if I can actually try to heal myself.”

He hesitated for a second. While she was making very good progress, he still didn’t want Katria to get ahead of herself and go too fast, especially not when it came to something as volatile as magic. He had met too many people who had tried to practice magic far beyond their limits or understanding. The results tended to be messy at best and disastrous at worst.

At the same time, he knew Katria very well at this point. He knew that she was an intelligent and capable woman, and she wasn’t the type to rush blindly into a situation. If she was confident enough in her ability to do magic, then he should at least give her the benefit of the doubt. Even if he was going to interfere if necessary.

“Only if you think you’re ready.”

For a moment, it seemed as if Katria was having second thoughts, too, but she quickly regained her composure and calmly picked up a small knife. Mimicking his own actions from earlier that morning, she carefully made a small cut on her thumb. As the blood swelled to the surface of the wound, he saw her go through the motions of casting the healing spell again.

He had frankly lost count of how many times he saw the magical energy form and swirl around her, but it was still quite a sight to behold every single time. She held in there, almost defiantly, and he saw her focus on the cut on her thumb, almost as if she could get it to heal through sheer willpower alone.

Her determination paid off. Soon, the wound began to close and the blood began to boil off. When the telltale wisps of steam started to appear, then and there, Cadmus knew she had done it. He gently took Katria’s hand and wiped the dried blood off her thumb with a damp cloth. Sure enough, the wound had healed and only a small scar was left in its place. She seemed utterly stunned at what she had just managed to achieve and in truth, so was he. Few people could learn a spell this fast, even a simple one, and despite having never practiced magic in her life, it seemed she still had a knack for it.

He felt immensely proud at that moment. “Fantastic work, Katria.”

She gave him a weak smile, wiping her brow in between labored breaths. “Thank you…”

By now, it was clear Katria was thoroughly exhausted. Seeing how she had already learned so much in a span of eight hours, Cadmus suggested that she take the rest of the afternoon off. She seemed grateful for that, and after once again thanking him for teaching her, she headed to her bedroom, presumably to take a long, well-deserved nap. He couldn’t exactly blame her for that and decided he wasn’t going to bother her again until dinnertime, so she could properly recover.

The first thing Cadmus did after adjourning lessons was to check in with his girls. Sofie and Lucia had just finished classes with their tutor that day as well, and he happily listened to them as they recounted what they had learned about the geography of Tamriel. When his daughters went off to play with their friends, the rest of his afternoon was spent fixing up the old Ebony helmet at his little workshop in the yard. He had made some good progress on his project as well, and he had finished tempering the new visor just in time to start cooking dinner.

It seemed that after the previous meal, Katria now had considerably more faith in his cooking ability. She quite happily devoured his seafood stew with grilled bread, even complimenting him on the meal. At the same time, she seemed a little more open with his girls as well, chatting with them happily and regaling them with tales of fighting Dwarven Centurions and Falmer.

Said openness, however, quickly threatened to come to a close about an hour later. As the two of them had gone up the stairs to their respective rooms, Katria had suddenly frozen. He found her staring at his daughters as they slashed at a straw training dummy in their room with Ebony daggers, gifts he had made them himself. She looked at Sofie and Lucia with an unreadable expression, before asking them what in Shor’s name they were doing.

The children stilled in response and so did he, wondering just how terribly she thought he failed at parenting. That feeling, however, was instantly eradicated when she told them they were holding their daggers completely wrong, then promptly moved in to show them how to properly do damage with it. The girls responded to the offer with glee and the Imperial was relieved to know that not everyone frowned at the decision to teach his daughters self-defense from an early age. As such, he happily left them to their bonding activity and continued his own pursuits in the comfort of his own chambers, reading a book on smithing with Meeko and Kit for company.

Cadmus was caught off-guard when he found Katria outside his bedroom door again an hour later, asking if he still had time to teach her some more magic. He had thought that the Restoration spell from earlier that afternoon would mark the end of magic lessons for the day. After all, it was still the first time that she had done _any_ form of magic in her life, and she was clearly very exhausted by the end of it.

It seemed he had underestimated her determination to learn…

He furrowed his brows. “Katria, are you sure? Don’t you want to rest up for the night? You already pushed yourself a lot this afternoon…”

She merely responded with a grin. “Well, I had a nap this afternoon and we thankfully had a large dinner, so I’ve regained some of my energy. Besides, I’m also still quite alert from the dagger training with the girls, so I doubt I’ll be sleeping any time soon.”

He shrugged, figuring it was as good a reason as any. “Hmm… If you insist. What would you like to work on?”

Clearly, she had thought about it. “I was thinking of learning the Candlelight spell. After all, what better time to practice than at night?”

He considered it for a moment. “True. It might be too cold to practice out on the patio though, so I suppose we’ll need to do it indoors. Shall we head down to the basement?”

“Or we can just go in your room and put the lights out.”

Part of him was caught off-guard by the way she said that last sentence. Katria could be cheeky sometimes, sure, but there was something in the way she looked at him as she said that, and her tone sounded almost… suggestive. Then again, another part of him was also aware that it may have just been wishful thinking on his part, and her proposal objectively made sense, so he decided not to question it.

As such, the pair sat down together in Cadmus’s room and got ready for the last lesson of the day. Meeko and Kit, seeming to sense that this was not the place for a quiet nap anymore, quickly retreated to his daughters’ chambers instead. He gave the spell tome to Katria and once she had finished reading everything, he put out the fire in the hearth and snuffed out the candles on the sconces as well. Soon, the entire chamber was pitch black and only vague outlines were visible due to the moonlight outside.

“Alright, Katria. Whenever you’re ready…”

The Nord woman once again closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she stood in the middle of the room. Cadmus noticed how she seemed to be much more relaxed and not nearly as nervous this time around. It made sense, considering that at this point she had already spent several hours learning to tap into and control the Magicka in her body and environment.

The Imperial sat on the bed, waiting quietly, but keeping an eye on her. She seemed to be gathering her strength, harnessing the Magicka needed for the spell. He could feel the air shift around them, a telltale sign of the force being manipulated. He could feel her trying to shape it to her desires, to achieve the same results as she did during the day.

Yet where she had managed an impressive show of light in the afternoon, all she managed now were tiny sparks that barely lasted half a second.

That outcome didn’t surprise him, but it seemed to frustrate Katria to no end. He heard her curse in the Nordic language, balling her fists and angrily trying to focus. He was about to tell her to calm down and that learning two spells in a day was pushing it, but she didn’t want to hear it.

“Just let me try again!”

Before he could say anything else, she was at it again. Throwing some additional fury behind her efforts, she started to channel the Magicka, only to create a few more white sparks. The same happened on the third and fourth try and he could feel her get more agitated with each failed attempt.

He noticed how she was getting increasingly tired and part of him wanted to tell her to just stop. She had been doing it for hours now and it was probably best for her to simply go to sleep and let it be until morning. However, he doubted she would heed that advice, stubborn Nord that she was, so he instead chose to help.

“Want me to show you the spell?”

Katria stopped for a moment, then nodded. On cue, he stood up and moved close to her, just so she could see what he was doing in the relative darkness. He concentrated, then summoned the little ball of light with practiced ease.

It lit up her face with a pale glow and he watched her study the results with rapt fascination. After a few more moments, she stood back and gathered all her strength to try yet again. By now, she looked more fatigued than ever, but also determined, and something told him this was not the moment to stop her.

Again, there were white sparks. The same happened several more attempts afterwards. Even so, he noticed them slowly getting bigger and brighter, starting to clump together rather than fly all over the place. With every turn she took at casting it, it started to change and look more and more like what the results should be.

It was right there, just as he thought she was finally going to relent, that a white light finally sprung from her hands and made it way up in the air to linger.

It didn’t last all that long, fizzling out after a meager ten seconds, but Katria didn’t seem to care and neither did he. Learning a spell that fast was a rarity and the fact she had actually pulled it off on sheer willpower and anger alone was astounding. He was immensely impressed with her affinity, but as he was about to tell her that, he realized that a more pressing concern was at hand.

At this stage, his companion was swaying on her legs. She appeared completely exhausted and barely even seemed to notice him when she looked in his direction. Moving instinctively to keep her from falling, he rushed in to support her and she held onto him tightly as she willingly walked with him before he sat her down on the nearest surface, that being the edge of the bed.

Katria seemed grateful for the help, though she quickly followed it up with another request. “Can I lie down for a bit?”

Seeing just how tired she looked, he instantly agreed. “Of course. Would you like some water in the meantime?”

She nodded, practically yawning as she spoke. “Yes, please.”

Cadmus walked over to the small table in the corner and poured Katria a goblet of water. The moment he had put the pitcher down again, however, he suddenly heard the sound of snoring. And sure enough, as soon as he turned around, he was met with the sight of Katria fast asleep on his bed. 

For a moment, he considered lifting her off the bed and bringing her to her own room. That or going to sleep in the guest room himself. Still, feeling far too tired to do the former and preferring his own soft, comfortable bed over the slightly lesser offering in the guest room, he eventually just groaned, shrugged, and flopped down on the empty side of the double bed, determined to finally get some sleep himself. He too passed out within seconds and thought no more of the entire tiring ordeal.

* * *

The next morning, Cadmus awoke to an all too familiar feeling. An arm was again wrapped around his waist and he felt the sensation of fine dark brown hair against his neck and face, as well as warm breaths against his shoulder. It turned out that in the night, the events at Old Hroldan Inn had repeated themselves. At the very least, this time around it thankfully wasn’t quite as awkward.

The Imperial simply relaxed, allowing himself to somewhat doze off again as he waited for the situation to resolve by itself. A few minutes later, he felt Katria stir against him and he decided to simply let her wake up on her own. After all, she deserved some uninterrupted sleep after the previous day.

Soon, he could hear her mumble as well. “Mmm…? Oh… Damn it, not again.”

Within seconds, he felt her pulling away from him. She sat up, and he turned around to face her. The first thing he noticed was that she didn’t sound particularly distressed— she wasn’t apologizing profusely and she no longer reacted with the same shock and horror as she did back at the inn. She still looked visibly embarrassed, although that seemed to be more due to potentially robbing him of a bed than snuggling against him in her sleep again.

Cadmus quietly observed how there were no signs of discomfort on both their ends this time around either. At this point, the two of them knew that neither had any ill intentions and would not take advantage of the other in their sleep. He could sense that there was a much stronger level of trust between them now, especially considering what they’d been through the past week and the day before.

Katria yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Mmm… Good morning.”

He sat up as well and returned the greeting. “Good morning.”

She shifted a little to the left. “I must’ve fallen asleep in your bed. Sorry, did you have enough space? Did you still sleep alright?”

He smiled. “Like a rock. Don’t worry about it.”

“I guess I was more tired than I thought last night…”

“Well, you learned how to use magic for the very first time yesterday. And you also learned two new spells in a single day. That takes a lot of energy and effort. I would be more surprised if you hadn’t gotten tired at all.”

“True… The last thing I remember before passing out was casting Candlelight. How did I do, by the way?”

The Imperial couldn’t pass up the opportunity to crack a playful joke. “Well, I _was_ going to tell you that I thought you were absolutely fantastic and that I was immensely proud of you… but then you fell asleep.”

The Nord giggled. “Aww, thank you. Perhaps if you’d been five seconds faster and had told me that before I fell asleep, then I would’ve had even more pleasant dreams.”

“ _Did_ you have pleasant dreams last night?”

“I did, yes. It helps when I’m sleeping next to something big, warm and comfortable.”

Now it was Cadmus’s turn to be embarrassed. Katria had looked him straight in the eye as she said that, her voice soft and without a single trace of irony or sarcasm. From what he understood, she just admitted that she quite liked snuggling against him. But was it merely because of the warmth or was there possibly another reason…? He didn’t get a chance to dwell on it however, as less than a second later, his thoughts were interrupted by another yawning noise coming from the Nord woman’s direction.

“Ah, sorry… Still a bit groggy.”

Cadmus got out of bed and stood up, offering his hand to Katria. “Well, how about we fix that with a nice breakfast?”

She gladly took it, smiling through half-lidded eyes. “That sounds good to me.”

The next few days played out quite similarly to the previous one. After breakfast, Cadmus washed up, greeted Sofie and Lucia’s tutor at the door and brought her and his daughters to the second floor sitting room, where they held their classes. He then met Katria at his basement alchemy station and began his own lessons for the day. Again, the morning was spent on learning alchemy, whereas the afternoon was dedicated to magic. They would stop in the mid-afternoon so Katria could have ample time to recover from the toll that using Magicka had on her body, which was still getting accustomed to the newfound power.

While she rested, Cadmus spent the late afternoons either playing hide and seek with his daughters in the city square, taking Meeko and Kit for a walk or working on his Ebony armor project in his workshop. At sunset, he would begin preparing dinner, and about two hours after the evening meal, he and Katria would have their last round of magic lessons for the night. 

The first five days had been the most strenuous, with both of them adhering to a rigorous schedule that involved waking up before dawn and spending an average of twelve hours practicing both alchemy and magic. Still, this routine garnered results, and Cadmus could see how much his companion improved each day. Alchemy had unsurprisingly proven to be quite easy for her due to her technical mind and penchant for details and precision. Katria had gone from creating the most basic healing potions to more intermediate-level draughts and solutions in a matter of days. She had also learned to identify all sorts of plants and fungi, and especially knowing which ones were safe to harvest and which ones she needed to avoid at all costs. That would prove extremely useful both in their quest and in general.

As for magic, while there were some initial setbacks— mostly due to her inexperience— the Nord woman’s perseverance and willpower allowed her to overcome these difficulties. Each day, she gradually worked her way up, casting incrementally stronger versions of the spells she already knew. By the end of the week, she had learned how to heal injuries faster, as well as how to keep a ball of magical light glowing for over ten minutes. It had gotten to the point where her control of the Candlelight spell had matched his own and he had nothing more to teach her, so Cadmus began switching over to teaching her beginner Telekinesis instead.

In addition, he observed how her control over Magicka had vastly improved over the course of several days. Due to constantly practicing spells in both the Restoration and Alteration schools of magic, Katria had learned how to be flexible and channel different aspects of Magicka for different situations. This in turn had caused her body to become better attuned with the magical force. Not only could she sustain spells for a longer period of time, but she also wasn’t tiring as much anymore. All in all, the Imperial considered her training to be a success.

Not everyday was spent on training, however. Once Katria had gotten the hang of both mixing potions and casting spells, Cadmus was confident enough that she could begin practicing her new skills on her own, and possibly even without his supervision. Even so, the two of them still spent a good amount of time together outside of their lessons as well. 

Katria had also been spending more time with the rest of the household as she grew more comfortable living with them. She and Jordis had already become fast friends due to their similar interests— despite the age difference of nearly twenty years— and he had seen them practicing archery and sparring with each other in the yard on a few occasions. His daughters were especially taken with his companion, and had been asking her to teach them new techniques with daggers on a regular basis at this point. Sofie often asked her about her adventures as a Dwemer scholar, and Lucia, upon learning that Katria was also a talented artist, had also asked if she could teach her how to draw. Even the pets seemed keen on welcoming her to the household, and she happily took Meeko on walks around the city and played ball with Kit.

On Loredas, two weeks into their stay in Solitude, Cadmus and Katria took some much-deserved time off. They were relaxing on the patio that day; Katria was enjoying some hot treacleberry tea while reading a book, while Cadmus was tending to the plants in his greenhouse. It was a quiet, lazy day which the pair happily spent by engaging in conversation and simply enjoying each other’s company.

The Imperial looked up from pruning the dead leaves off one of his thistle plants. “Feels good to have some time off, doesn’t it?”

Katria put her book down. “It sure does. I can’t believe I was actually able to sleep in this morning. I was doing some cross-referencing on some old notes last night and I finally made some progress on the locations of the last two Aetherium Shards!”

He paused and put down his gardening shears. “Oh?”

She smiled and gestured for him to come towards her. “Come sit down with me and I’ll show you on the map. Oh, and do you want me to pour you some tea?”

He smiled, removing his gloves and pulling up a chair next to her. “Tea would be great, thanks.”

Katria walked over to one of the side tables where she had put down the kettle of treacleberry tea. She poured a steaming cup for Cadmus, then sat back down and unrolled their map, pointing at some of the new markers she had drawn.

“The third Shard should be in a ruin known as Raldbthar, in relatively close proximity to the much larger site of Irkngthand, in The Pale.”

“That’s the ruin with the only known statue of a Snow Elf, right?”

She smiled. “Correct! So I take it you know of the general area, then?”

He nodded. “Yes. I’ve passed by it a few times. We can definitely get there from Windhelm by foot, though we should be careful since the area is known for having quite a few Frost Trolls. So, what about the fourth Shard?”

She moved her finger to another marker she had placed on the map. “Let’s see… The fourth Shard should be… relatively close to the ruins of Mzulft. That’s on the border of Eastmarch and The Rift, and very close to the provincial border with Morrowind.”

The two of them spent the next few minutes plotting out a travel route for the next leg of their journey. They decided that on the morning of the 21st of Sun’s Dusk, the day after the end of their stay in the city, they would take a carriage from Solitude to Windhelm and spend the night there. From Windhelm, they would trek a few hours to the ruins of Raldbthar, where they could begin their search for the third Aetherium Shard. And while they were still uncertain of what to expect after that, Cadmus suggested heading to Kynesgrove, where they could rest and resupply before making their way to Mzulft.

Katria nodded in agreement as she rolled up their map again. “And after that… all that’s left is to find the Forge itself…”

Cadmus could sense the excitement in her voice. “Yeah… I’m looking forward to it.”

The Nord woman leaned back in her chair and stretched. “Honestly, it feels really good to actually have a plan. We already have two Shards, and we know the locations of the last two… I feel like I’m not grasping at straws anymore… and it’s all thanks to your help.”

He smirked. “Well, I should be the one thanking you for letting me stick around. You very nearly sent me home after we found that first Shard, after all…”

He had expected her to give a cheeky response or to crack a joke. However, her reaction was more heartfelt and sincere, and there was a certain warmth and gentleness in her voice as she spoke.

“None of this would be possible if I’d never met you.”

He smiled. “Thank you. I’m glad I walked into Arkngthamz that day…”

She returned the gesture, leaning in ever so slightly. “And I’m glad I have you.”

The Imperial felt his heart flutter for a few moments. Once again, the rational part of his brain insisted that he was simply interpreting her words the way he wanted to, or projecting his own feelings onto it. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps there was a chance that those feelings might be mutual. 

He had noticed the change in her demeanor back at the tavern in Dragon Bridge, but at the time, he had attributed it to her simply being glad to see that he was recovering well from the dragon attack. But lately, Katria had been more openly affectionate and playful around him— rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb, leaning her head against his shoulder when she was tired or sleepy, and occasionally cracking suggestive jokes during training, especially when they were alone in his bedroom at night…

He thought of an instance once, while they were practicing Telekinesis in his room, she had sheepishly asked him an offhand question about whether being Dragonborn attracted unwanted suitors. The Imperial merely snickered, saying that apart from a problematic warrior woman in Whiterun who was far too haughty, too hot-headed and too young for him, he had, thankfully, mostly been left alone. While he wasn’t sure if that answer satisfied her, he did notice how she briefly smiled, then resumed practicing the spell.

There had been other moments, too. During their alchemy lessons one day, she’d had some difficulty grinding some mudcrab chitin down into a fine powder and had asked for his help. He initially thought she wanted him to grind the ingredients himself, but just as he was about to take the mortar and pestle from her, she stopped him. His confusion was replaced by surprise when she took his hand and placed it on hers, using the extra grip to put more force on the pestle, meanwhile playfully leaning back against him. He had blushed at the sudden closeness of the position, but at the same time, he admittedly found it quite pleasant… even if it was not the most practical method for grinding alchemy ingredients.

Another time, she had asked if she could use his workshop to sharpen her daggers and make minor repairs to Zephyr, and he gladly let her. He had been working on the finishing touches of his restored Ebony helmet that day, and upon completion, he proudly presented it to his companion. Katria was visibly impressed— it seemed she really did think the helmet wasn’t good for anything other than scrap metal when they first saw it. Her fingers brushed against his when she reached out to touch the helmet, and once more their gazes met. He didn’t immediately realize that she had interlocked her fingers with his, but when he did, Cadmus felt heat creeping into his cheeks and he wasn’t quite sure it was from the forge anymore. He only grew redder when Katria mentioned that she couldn’t wait to see him in the full armor set, adding that she imagined he would look quite handsome wearing it.

There was another instance just a few days ago, when the two of them had been sitting on a bench in the square, spending time with the girls and watching them play with the other children. He had glanced over Katria’s shoulder and noticed that she was sketching Sofie and Lucia. His companion was quite the talented artist, and he asked if he could see the other sketches in her journal. There were gorgeous architectural drawings, quick gestures of everyday scenes in Solitude, and impressively rendered portraits of his daughters, and even some of Jordis, Meeko and Kit.

As he flipped through the pages, however, he was quite surprised to see several drawings of himself in her journal as well. Katria blushed, shyly admitting that she had been doodling during their daytime lessons as she listened to him. He asked if he could keep some of the sketches, especially the ones of his daughters. She happily agreed, only to then timidly ask whether it was alright if she could keep one portrait of him for herself.

The most recent, and arguably most significant, incident was yesterday afternoon. As they sat and enjoyed some coffee on the patio together after practicing magic, Katria had hesitantly asked about the last time he’d been with someone. The question had been rather sudden, even if they had been talking about family, but Cadmus still answered truthfully by saying that it had been over ten years ago. It was while he was still in the Legion, before his honorable discharge, and that his lover at the time, a Bosmer and fellow Legionnaire named Naerwen, had ended the relationship to return home to Valenwood and join the resistance against the Third Aldmeri Dominion. 

The answer seemingly surprised her and it had surprised him when she also admitted her last relationship was a good six years ago with someone named Floki. She thought she had loved this Nord man, but when it was clear he envisioned a life where he joined the Stormcloaks and she would give up her research in order to care for a home and several children, she realized they were not meant for one another and she had politely ended things. Even so, she mentioned she had not given up on love entirely and that who knows, there might be someone for her in the future.

Thinking back to all those moments, Cadmus couldn’t help but be cautiously optimistic. Perhaps Katria was also interested in pursuing something more than a casual or professional friendship. He certainly was. He could barely even remember what kissing or sleeping with someone felt like and he tended to avoid intimate relationships if there wasn’t any long-term potential. Seeing his nomadic lifestyle of the last ten years, that had been often. But now that he had some permanent roots in Skyrim, it might be an excellent time to find some companionship.

Still, he hadn’t yet thought of the right time to ask Katria, especially since they’d mostly been occupying themselves with training and planning the next part of their journey to find the Aetherium Shards. And then, there was also the matter of him having children. He didn’t expect Katria to be their mother, nor that his daughters should see her as such, but a relationship with him still meant that his girls would always have top priority. He understood that not every woman could accept those terms and he had no idea where Katria stood on that topic. And of course there was that rapidly impending business of being Dragonborn and having to fight the World Eater, with no certain chance of survival...

And yet…

The Imperial had lived long enough to be honest with his own feelings. The last ten years had been terribly lonely for him and he had not met all that many women who could hold even a candle to this beautiful, strong and intelligent Nord who was sitting right next to him. If there was indeed a spark between them, he might regret ignoring it due to any reservations he had. And if he would die fighting Alduin, he rather would have lived without any regrets. Which meant he might as well enjoy Katria’s company for as long as he could.

He eventually decided that he might as well give it a go. After all, if she wasn’t interested and turned him down, it would be unfortunate, true, but nothing was lost. Yet if she was indeed interested, the best way to initiate a relationship was to actually take the first step. As such, he realized that now was as good a time as any and he laid out his request.

“Katria… Do you have any plans on the 20th?”

She looked up in surprise when he asked. “Hmm? That’s our last day in Solitude, isn’t it? No, not really. Other than packing my things for the journey, that is. Why do you ask?”

He took a sip of his tea. “Well… That’s the day of the Warriors Festival. In most places in Tamriel, all merchants simply sell wares and services at half price, but here in Solitude, we celebrate it with an actual festival. The blacksmith and fletcher here put their best blades and bows on sale. There’ll be food stands, drinks, music and plays by the Bards College…”

She stared at him for a bit. “Are you… asking me to go to the festival with you?”

Her tentative reaction had him hesitate. “Er, well… Only if you want to. But if you don’t, that’s perfectly fine, too—”

He wanted to say more, only for her to cut him off with a smile. “I’d love to go with you, Cadmus.”

His thought of salvaging the situation stopped then and there. He blinked, then looked back at her and smiled. Part of him realized how stupid he might look, but he didn’t care at all. He was simply happy that she had accepted his invitation and he responded perhaps a bit too bluntly and excitedly.

“Oh, great!”

She simply laughed in response, reaching over and gently squeezing his hand as if to confirm the agreement. “I’m looking forward to it. It’d be nice to have a whole day where we can just have fun and enjoy each other’s company, right? Anyway… want some more tea?”

He nodded. “Yes, please.”

Feeling accomplished and happy, he then turned the conversation to other topics. Even so, he was very excited to know he would have some lovely company during the festivities. It would be a great way to end their stay in Solitude, before they would go out into the wilderness of Skyrim once more, and head deep into dangerous Dwemer ruins to resume their quest for the Aetherium Shards.

* * *

On the morning of the Warriors Festival a few days later, Cadmus woke up early, excited for a fun day with no obligations or worries. He already had his heart set on some things he hoped to do during his festivities and so did the rest of his family.

Lucia was going to be part of a children’s play, organized by some members of the Bards College, along with her friends Kayd and Svari. Sofie had politely declined, feeling too shy to perform in public and preferring to cheer her sister on from the audience. She was, however, quite interested in seeing the blacksmith and fletcher’s wares, as well as the collection of ornate historical Imperial swords and daggers that would be on display just outside Castle Dour. Jordis was also going, having taken the day off and planning to spend time with friends and fellow warriors. All in all, it was an outing that the entire household was looking forward to.

The girls had been helping him cook breakfast that morning. He was pleased to see just how good they were getting at it and that his attempts to teach them self-sufficiency were clearly paying off. They themselves were deservedly proud as they served the buttermilk, dried fruit with honey, and bread they’d helped him bake earlier— something for everyone to eat while he was still working on some fried eggs. He told everyone to dig into what was already offered while he finished up the eggs, but while Katria and Jordis heeded that suggestion, his daughters moved back to the kitchen to help him again. Yet just as he was about to teach them how to flip an egg while keeping the yolk intact, Lucia suddenly spoke up.

“Papa, is Katria going to be our new Mama?”

The question took him by surprise. “What…? What made you think that?”

His youngest daughter gave an innocent reply. “Well… You two spend a lot of time together and seem to really like each other. We really like her, too! She’s nice!”

Sofie chimed in as well. “Yeah! She plays dollies with us, she has great stories and she teaches us amazing tricks with daggers!”

Excitedly, Lucia added more. “Meeko really likes her, too! The other day, she taught him how to roll over!”

Sofie giggled as she followed that up. “And Kit likes it when she pets him, too!”

He chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that you get along well with her.”

The Imperial contemplated whether he could quietly change the topic without actually answering his daughter’s question, but it seemed they had both caught on to his affection for her. And unfortunately, just like him, they were not easily distracted from their goals. Especially not Sofie, who calmly handed him another egg when he asked and gave him a pointed look.

“So are you gonna ask her to marry you?”

Before he could respond, Lucia added a question of her own. “Can she be our Mama and live with us forever?”

The situation was quickly getting awkward. He hadn’t expected to be interrogated by his two eight-year-old daughters before breakfast over the specifics of his relationship with Katria. She’d been the only woman he’d ever brought home and introduced to them, so he could understand why the girls were excited about the possibility of having a mother. And while he was glad that his daughters genuinely liked her, this was not a conversation he wanted to have within earshot of the woman he had only started courting, or whatever passed for it, a few days ago.

As such, he answered diplomatically. “Girls… I’m afraid it’s not like that. Katria and I are… We’re just good friends.”

For a moment, he thought that had been enough to diffuse the situation and cause the girls to drop the subject entirely. He had turned his attention back to his cooking, but just as he was about to place the fried eggs on the plates, Lucia suddenly piped up again.

“But we see her going to your bedroom every night. Isn’t that what married people do?”

Cadmus nearly dropped the spatula in shock. Actually, shock was a bit of an understatement. He was absolutely mortified. Suddenly, he deeply regretted trying to be a responsible parent and giving his children an age-appropriate explanation of the birds and the bees. He felt as if a giant rock had just dropped into the pit of his stomach, and that he’d utterly failed as a father. Did his daughters think less of him now? Did they really think that all this time, he and Katria had been…?

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by hysterical laughter. He turned around to see Katria, who had just walked into the kitchen herself and had apparently overhead his daughter’s remarks regarding the nature of their relationship. Her reaction was not helping his case at all and by now his face was so red he could have passed for a Dremora.

After a few seconds, however, she calmed down enough and gently patted Lucia on the head as she cleared things up. “Oh, sweetie… I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Your Papa has just been teaching me magic. We practice in his room at night so everyone else can sleep.”

“Aww… Okay…”

The girls seemed a little disappointed, but nonetheless accepted the answer. Then, with the shocking ease that children could switch from one mood to the next, they both returned to the dining table. Meanwhile, the Nord woman gave him an assuring look, as if to indicate that she understood his hesitancy in informing his daughters of the developing situation between them. 

Never in his life had he been more grateful for such a simple gesture, since the last thing he wanted was to get his daughters’ hopes up, only for them to be devastated if things didn’t work out between him and Katria. Seemingly sensing what was on his mind, she walked up to him and held his hand as she leaned her head on his shoulder. The two of them then carried the rest of the plates to the dining table, and the remainder of breakfast thankfully transpired peacefully.

At half past nine in the morning, the household set out for the city square. Even from outside the front porch of Proudspire Manor, he could already see the tops of several tents and men and women setting up food stands and tables for selling merchandise. There were already banners and strings of flags hanging from the lampposts and eaves of buildings. Sofie and Lucia were immensely excited, practically running circles around the adults as they talked about all the things they wanted to do.

Cadmus had given his daughters 25 septims each so they could buy any treats or toys they wanted at the festival, but also told them not to wander too far away, keep their daggers on them at all times, and to stay within his, Katria’s or Jordis’s line of sight. And while he knew his girls would behave well and stay out of trouble, he had also discreetly asked some of his friends in the Legion and the city guard to keep an eye on them just in case. After all, he had been to enough festivals to know that the combination of large crowds and free-flowing alcohol were enough to tempt certain folk with ill intentions.

Katria, on the other hand, didn’t seem to know just where to look. The Imperial wondered when she had last attended any type of festivity or if she ever did at all. She seemed fascinated with everything, from the food stands, to the lights, to the stage and the music, and was almost as excited as his little girls to attend. Realizing she may have never experienced this kind of event, one of the first things he did was to buy her a sweet sanguine apple from a nearby vendor, which she happily accepted.

The two of them spent the day walking around, hand in hand, enjoying the sights and festivities. Katria had learned of a free mead tasting event and was dying to partake in it. Cadmus gladly let her, meanwhile occupying himself with free cheese samples. At two in the afternoon, the household had gathered together again and sat on one of the benches in front of the large stage in the center of the square to watch Lucia’s special performance with the Bards College. While his daughter only played a minor role, she clearly put in the most effort out of all the other children and her singing had vastly improved since he’d last heard her. As such, he proudly stood up, loudly clapping and cheering Lucia on, with Sofie, Katria and Jordis joining him.

Of course, the main draw of the Warriors Festival was the fact that everything was for sale at half price. Cadmus and Katria immediately took advantage of this, stocking up on gear and supplies for their journey. Beirand the castle blacksmith and Fihada the fletcher had set up tables in front of their respective stores, showcasing the best arms and armor they had to offer. Katria was especially excited upon purchasing her first ever quiver of Ebony arrows, as well as a new pair of steel gauntlets and shin boots. The Imperial had bought some new arrows for himself as well, but otherwise made no other purchases since he now had a full set of restored Ebony armor waiting for him at home.

Sofie had also gone along with them, intrigued by all the different weapons on display at Castle Dour. Despite her young age, she was already beginning to show an interest in weaponry and smithing, especially after meeting Adrianne Avenicci when they were on a trip to Whiterun. And while Cadmus had declined to show his daughter how to use the forge for now, he was more than happy to teach her when she was a little older.

By sunset, endless fireworks had already started, which Katria watched with a mixture of awe and child-like glee. Cadmus smiled as he looked at her, feeling warm all over at seeing her so happy. Feeling particularly bold, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and was pleasantly surprised when she made no attempt to shrug it off, instead putting her own arm around his waist as they continued to watch the display.

At half past seven in the evening, most of the festivities were coming to a close, though the free-flowing ale was suspiciously still available until midnight. Sensing that the following events would be more geared towards adults and may not be appropriate for children, Cadmus decided that it was time to go home. Sofie and Lucia thankfully didn’t protest, since they appeared to be quite tired themselves. Still, he was glad that everyone had a good time at the Warriors Festival and that he was able to spend a nice day out with his family and of course, with Katria.

On the way back to Proudspire, however, Cadmus found an Altmer woman calling out to him while waving her arm. He immediately recognized her as Taarie, one of the sisters who operated the clothing store, Radiant Raiment. She appeared to be on her way home from the festivities as well and was carrying a rolled-up package in her arm.

The Altmer woman smiled as she walked up to him. “Ah, Cadmus! What perfect timing. I was just looking for you. I’m pleased to inform you that your order has been completed.”

She handed him the package, which he gratefully accepted. “Thank you, Taarie. I appreciate you being able to finish this even though I put in the order at such short notice…”

She shook her head. “Oh, think nothing of it. Besides, your advance payment and provision of the raw materials rounded out the expenses and manpower quite well. Enjoy your new garments and thank you for investing in Radiant Raiment!”

After the Altmer bade him farewell and went on her way, Cadmus eagerly looked over the package. What he held in his hands right now was a great gift to end the day.

Katria looked over his shoulder. “I see you got something custom-tailored?”

He nodded. “I did. I’d be happy to show you when we get back home.”

Thankfully, his companion didn’t question it and within moments, the Imperial was herding his children back to their home, while he could hear the sound of drunken brawls already breaking out in the city square. Once safely inside his own home again, he locked the doors for good measure to prevent any drunks from wandering or breaking in, and potentially getting their hands bitten off by Meeko or getting scratched to death by Kit. The kids quickly retreated to their own room, likely to compare their hauls of the night and Jordis clearly wanted to do nothing besides curl up in bed with a book before sleeping. This left him and Katria alone in the living room and he decided this was a good moment to show her what was inside the package he received.

As they sat in front of the main fireplace, Cadmus carefully took the wrappings off and slowly revealed the items that Taarie had handed him. He brought out the first item: a brand new fur-lined winter cloak made of thick wolf pelts. He held it for a few seconds, marveling at the craftsmanship and being thoroughly impressed by how quickly the sisters had managed to make the garment despite him putting in the order at the last minute. Indeed, it was a beautiful cloak, but it wasn’t for him.

He smiled as he held the cloak in his hands, then presented it to Katria.

“This is for you. I hope you like it.”

Katria’s jaw practically dropped when he handed her the cloak. She took it with uncharacteristic gentleness, holding it as if it were the most delicate thing in the world, almost afraid to drop it. She looked it over, running her hand across the coarse, but pleasantly warm fur. She seemed lost for words, but as she looked back at him, he could see that she wanted to ask him the reason for this gift.

He was only glad to explain. “Well… We’re going to Eastmarch and The Pale soon and the snow can be quite harsh there… I figured the least I could do was get you something that would help keep you warm.”

Again, she stared at the cloak as if it was the finest treasure in the world. “Where did you get all these furs, though?”

He smiled. “Remember when we had a run-in with some wolves and a bear in The Reach when we were heading to Dragon Bridge?”

She chuckled. “Ah. That explains it. Funny, I don’t really see any bear fur on this…?”

He sheepishly took out a second, larger cloak from the package, this time made from bear fur. “There was enough material for two cloaks, so I also had one made for myself.”

Katria practically burst out laughing at his honesty. “Seems we’ll be a matching pair. Shall we try them on, then?”

They stood up and put their new cloaks on. Cadmus was completely satisfied with the overall fit of the cloak and found it pleasantly warm but not too bulky. He wasn’t surprised; Taarie and Endarie were, after all, the finest tailors in Skyrim and they knew their craft well. He expected only the best from them and was happy to have invested in the sisters’ business once he’d stopped Erikur from harassing them and continuously increasing their rent. They had become a lot nicer since then and always made sure to put extra care in anything he commissioned.

“How do I look?”

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Katria’s voice, and as he looked up, his eyes were met with quite a pleasant sight. She looked absolutely stunning wrapped up in the form-fitting furs; her long, dark-brown hair contrasting against the grey wolf pelts. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen and he hadn’t quite realized how lost he was in the image until he saw Katria staring at him expectantly for a response. Without thinking, he simply blurted out the first words that came to mind.

“You look absolutely gorgeous.”

Instantly her cheeks turned the color of wine and the Imperial wondered if he’d perhaps been too straightforward. He didn’t want to go too fast and give Katria the wrong idea, after all. He opened his mouth to smooth the situation over, but she simply responded by walking up to him and wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened at the sudden contact, but gradually relaxed in her embrace.

“Thank you. For the gift and the compliment. And for taking me to the festival. I had a wonderful time.”

He felt his own cheeks growing warmer. “You’re welcome.”

She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing deeply. “I’m glad we are doing this together. I… I’m just… so happy you’re here with me.”

Cadmus smiled. “What can I say? I care about you, and… you mean a lot to me.”

Katria smiled back, her eyes almost watery. “You mean a lot to me, too, Cadmus.”

With those words, she wrapped her arms even more tightly around him as she leaned closer, tilted her head to the side and gave him a gentle, chaste kiss on the cheek. His skin burned where her lips had touched him, but he hardly minded. He simply put his own arms around her waist, pulling her closer, reveling in her warmth and not wanting to let go.

The two of them simply stood there, locked in their embrace. Eventually, they did break apart, only to longingly gaze at each other for a good while. This was likely the most they’d do for tonight, but Cadmus was quite alright with that. It was fine if they took things slowly, at a pace that was comfortable for them both. Besides, there would be plenty of time to spend together, with the quest that would start again the next day.

He took off the cloak and draped it over his arm. “Anyway… we should probably pack our things and head to bed. We have a long journey tomorrow, after all…”

The Nord woman nodded and did the same. “I agree. Can’t say I’m looking forward to waking up at three in the morning, though…”

The Imperial chuckled, then offered his hand, which his companion gladly took. The pair headed up the stairs, their fingers still interlocked. By the time they had reached the second floor, Katria almost seemed like she didn’t want to let go or return to her own room, but eventually she pulled her hand away. She walked towards the guest bedroom and entered, but flashed him one last smile before closing the door.

“Goodnight, Cadmus.”

He returned the gesture. “Sweet dreams, Katria.”

Cadmus closed the door behind him, feeling elated and his heart still racing. From the looks of it, he might be growing more roots here in Skyrim than just a home and two children. He’d never figured a chance meeting in a Dwemer ruin would lead to something this elaborate and complicated, but it was well worth it. If only for the remarkable woman he met because of it. A woman whom he was now sure was going to be far more to him than just a very enjoyable traveling companion on an exciting adventure.

Tonight, he decided, had been a good start to that. He didn’t mind treading carefully. That was a good strategy in life, even in love, and they were both old enough and experienced enough not to do anything rash. Except perhaps looking for Aetherium Shards, but he was perfectly fine with that knowing he didn’t have to do that alone.

After packing his things, he laid down on his bed, looking forward to tomorrow; looking forward to continuing the quest; but most importantly, looking forward to starting a new chapter with the extraordinary woman fate had put in his path.


	9. The Ruins of Raldbthar

“Welcome to Windhelm, the snowiest city in Skyrim… and the most depressing…”

Katria hid a small smile at the obvious bitterness and sarcasm in her companion’s voice. Still, she couldn’t say he was wrong. Windhelm was also her least favorite city in all of Skyrim. Harsh winds continuously swept through the narrow streets and alleyways of the confusing, maze-like layout and the snow was so cold and wet that it often felt more like hail. Even worse, the ground was almost always slick with black ice, making even the simple act of walking anywhere difficult. At times, it almost felt as if even the city itself hated the people who lived there. It wouldn’t surprise her. Only a certain type of people could bear to live in these conditions and those were rarely the kind, charitable types.

During the few times she’d had to travel to Windhelm for work, she noticed that there was a palpable sense of disdain in the air. One of the first things she saw, upon arriving at the city for the first time nearly two decades ago, was a group of boorish Nord men harassing an old Dunmer woman and shoving her to the ground. When she had tried to intervene, she had found herself pushed to the ground as well, her belongings scattering all over. As if that hadn’t been enough, the men flat out mugged her in plain sight, taking a Dwemer gyro she had labored to retrieve and claiming it was a “fee” to get into “their” city. And this was before she had actually spoken to the Dunmer woman and learned about how the city treated any citizen that was not a Nord.

Cadmus seemed angry at her recounting this tale, but not surprised. While the Dunmer were not quite saints themselves and could sometimes match the Nords in racism, their overall treatment was scandalous and inhumane. But even then, the Dunmer at least got to live in the city, unlike the Argonians at the docks who were treated even worse than them. Then there was the fact that the human residents just seemed to dislike anyone who wasn’t a “true Nord” and by their definitions, “true Nord” only referred to Nords who agreed with them. Of course, he also had another very good reason to dislike this place.

“We shouldn’t stay here for too long. I have good friends here, but also a lot of enemies. The aftershocks of the Civil War are still felt…”

Katria believed him on his word. From what he told her— and she had no reason to doubt any crazy claims from him anymore— he was directly involved in the death of Ulfric Stormcloak, a man many in Windhelm had practically revered. Even if the city was now under Imperial control, it made sense that there would still be bad blood. She herself would have preferred staying out of this den of misery entirely, were it not for the circumstances.

The sun had already set by the time they reached the capital city of Eastmarch. After a long, exhausting trip that involved waking up at three in the morning and enduring a fourteen-hour carriage ride, Katria was willing to tolerate spending a night in the city she so despised. The very first building they came across after entering the city gates was the Candlehearth Hall inn and even the Imperial had to admit that they had little other recourse when it came to a bed, food and some sleep aside from camping out in the open, which was even colder and more dangerous.

As such, the both of them decided to brave Candlehearth Hall instead. Upon entering the inn, Cadmus removed his helmet and approached the innkeeper, asking for a room and a table. Katria was pretty sure she saw the innkeeper was giving him a vindictive glare in response, but nonetheless complied. The two of them were smart enough not to linger at the counter and decided to move to a more quiet place where they could eat and drink in peace.

They sat down at one of the corner tables in the common room on the second floor, carrying their own plates of food as the server refused to accommodate the pair. The both of them had some cooked beef and vegetables, with steaming mugs of mulled wine for Cadmus, and hot mead for Katria, to help deal with the bitter cold. Katria wrapped her fur cloak tightly around herself, thankful for the extra insulation. The pair then did their best to keep to themselves as they ate and discussed what to do next.

The Imperial took another drink to warm up. “So, how are we going to reach Raldbthar?”

Katria pointed to the map she had brought. “Well, from what I can see, it’s in the mountains not too far from here. Even so, I think we can reach it relatively easily if we just follow the main road west of the city. If the map is correct, there should be a path up the mountain area there.”

Cadmus seemed to stew on this information for a while. “Any information on bandit camps or other threats?”

Katria thought for a moment. “Well, there’s a place called Uttering Hills Cave that’s well-known to be a bandit hideout, but we can safely bypass that area if we go through the treeline.”

He nodded. “There is a chance that we may have to deal with Frost Trolls, however. Still, nothing I haven’t dealt with before. And you do know a fire spell now, so we should be fine.”

The Nord woman mulled over that for a bit, before bringing up her next concern. “What about dragons?”

The Imperial shifted in his seat. “Well… I can’t say it’s not a possibility. There were multiple occasions where I’ve seen one flying over a lumber mill not too far from here. So it’s best if we tread carefully around that area.”

Katria displayed a wide grin, feeling a lot more confident due to the events in Dragon Bridge. “And if we run into one, we deal with it as it comes.”

Her clear optimism and confidence made him chuckle. He was just about to eat some more of his food, when they both of them suddenly realized the bard had stopped playing music. A mere few seconds ago, she was starting on _The Age of Aggression_. Now, the sound of the lute had stopped and several angry male voices were now screaming at her.

“You play that Imperial bootlicker melody one more time and I will rip off those ugly pointy ears, greyskin!”

Katria turned to the commotion and saw how four Nord men were ganging up on the Dunmer bard. All of them were notably bigger than her and seemed very intoxicated. That combination was bound to cause trouble. And like most of the men who supported the Stormcloaks, but were not actually out there fighting the hopeless fight, they were only brave enough to confront proxies of the situations they were unhappy about. In this case, a Dunmer bard in an occupied city looking to earn some supper and who didn’t wish to be executed by the Legion.

“You must feel really good about yourself, now Ulfric’s dead. Well, don’t get too comfortable. Windhelm holds true to Ulfric’s ideals and just because the Empire’s back in charge, it doesn’t mean we don’t have ways to deal with your kind! Do you understand?”

Cadmus was equally invested in the situation. By now, his earlier jovial mood had been replaced by outright anger. And like her, he didn’t seem all that interested in letting this situation slide. She watched him turn his chair and shout over at the men, making sure they heard every word.

“Leave her be. The Civil War is not her battle. If you want to hear _The Age of Oppression_ instead, sing it yourself. It’s not her job to risk her life over your preferred tavern tune.”

The words quickly found their mark. The four men practically whipped around to him and if looks could kill, Katria was sure he may have died already. Even so, he didn’t move an inch, not even when they moved away from the bard, who wisely got out of dodge, and approached him.

“Stay your filthy Imperial tongue! You aren’t even worthy of saying Ulfric’s name! And you have a lot of nerve, coming back here after what you did!”

Again, her companion didn’t seem intimidated. “Last time I checked, this inn wasn’t limited to people who loved Ulfric. Besides, say what you will of the man, but he was not a coward. Which is more than I can say of you. If this is what is left of his supporters, then I pity him, Arkay preserve his soul.”

This did nothing to assuage their rage and one of them, a beggar by the looks of it, stepped forward. “I said, shut your filthy mouth! You cosmopolitan Imperials know nothing of Nords! We fight like our ancestors, not lay down to Elves! I fought in your Great War and I fought for the Stormcloaks. I took a sword through the chest from your people. Skyrim bled for your conflict with the Thalmor. So don’t act all high and mighty! You’re responsible for this mess and you have blood on your hands, from the Concordat to Ulfric’s demise!”

Katria saw Cadmus bare his teeth, in something halfway between a sneer and a grin. “Ah yes, you are right. I am responsible for the White-Gold Concordat. In fact, I was absolutely instrumental. I was only a nine-year-old boy, but the Thalmor and Emperor summoned me to draft it, sign it and conduct the ceremony personally. Oh, and of course, nothing gave me greater joy than seeing the Dominion sack my home, kill my neighbors and friends and outlaw worship of an important Divine. Which the Empire didn’t actively enforce either, until Ulfric made a meal of it. Spare me your pity contest. This war was a disaster on all ends, Nord and Imperial alike.”

This was clearly not the answer they wanted to hear, but the fact that they couldn’t claim to be the only victims had left them without a suitable reply. Even so, in the fashion of all drunks with too much ego and little sense, they refused to simply leave it be. It seemed they had only now noticed Katria, as well as the fact she was a Nord herself, and that unfortunately gave them new wind.

“Then let Skyrim be and at least let us lick our wounds! But still, here you are, taking from us! First you take away our Jarl and _the rightful High King_ , and now you steal our women, too! Imperial bastard! You scum don’t just kill true Nords, you’re trying to breed us out! What kind of things did you give her, that she would let herself be seen with you and spit her kinsmen in the eye?”

Their faces indicated that they were feeling rather smug and justified in that accusation. Katria, however, was fighting not to burst into laughter. It was hilarious that they were talking as though she wasn’t there or had not done any active decision-making in associating with this Imperial man. As if she were some naïve child without wit or agency, lured away from the arms of a proper, strapping Nord husband by the promise of Shadowbanish Wine and crostata.

So funny and insulting was it to her, in fact, that she could not resist throwing in a remark of her own. “Well, if _you_ speak on behalf of these supposed ‘true Nords’, then I chose wisely in being with an Imperial instead.”

The fact that she actually had an opinion only seemed to aggravate them even more. One of them lurched forward, red-faced and practically foaming at the mouth. He yanked at the front of her armor and Katria practically wretched at the smell of the alcohol. She could hear his friends jeer in excitement, no doubt glad to release their impotent frustration in some way.

“No one asked your opinion, you traitorous whore! If Ulfric were still alive, you would’ve been naked in the stocks at the square! He knew how to deal with strumpets who lie with the enemy! And so do we!”

Perhaps it was the alcohol. Perhaps it was the fact they thought so little of them that they didn’t expect any retaliation. But without warning, the three men moved in, screaming angry threats and encouraging their friend to teach her a lesson in an effort to finally enact their rage on what seemed like a worthy victim. It was also the last mistake of the evening they would make.

As soon as Katria saw her primary assailant rear his hand back to slap her, Cadmus had gotten up. With terrifying speed for a man his size, he had shot up from his chair and rushed over. He clamped his hand over the attacker’s head and in one fluid move, slammed his face into their table.

The sheer force left a dent in the wood, as well as a dislodged tooth and a bloody smear as the man slowly slid off the side. He crumpled to the ground with a loud, agonized groan that caused the entire inn to look up in horror. There he stayed, but not without cursing in Nordic and practically spitting at the man who put him there. 

“Shor’s bones! You broke my jaw, you filth!”

The Imperial’s response was cold as ice as he glanced at the man and his friends. “Touch her again and I’ll break more. First and final warning. Get back to your tables, drink your mead and this will not get any uglier.”

His warning sadly went unheeded. If anything, it stoked the flames anew, and all four men charged in, going for him in particular and forgetting about her. Easily the biggest error they could have made.

So focused were they on Cadmus that they didn’t even pay attention to her. As the first of these fools flung himself at the Imperial, Katria rushed in between them and planted her clenched, steel-clad fist in the man’s face. The force of it was enough to send him flying backwards, blood, spit and teeth spraying everywhere. He skidded to a stop several feet away, groaning and cursing until he fell still. His sudden exit from the fight caused a deafening silence to take hold of the inn, but his companions were too drunk on mead and Nord honor to back down now.

“Captain, do something! They’re going to murder each other!”

“I would, but I don’t have command over the guards anymore—!”

Katria could only vaguely hear the voices of the other patrons of the inn in the background, who were apparently planning to intervene. She had no time to think about anything else, however, since she was preoccupied with the current situation. Another one of the men screamed with rage as he closed in, swinging a chair at them as he swooped in from the side. She was quick enough to dodge, but her companion wasn’t as lucky. She winced as it hit him square in the face and a sickening crack was heard as the wood tore and splintered everywhere. She watched in horror as she could see jets of blood coming from his nose and even amidst all the red, she could see it was broken.

The Nord man let out a sickening whoop of victory. He moved in for yet another swing with the remnants of the chair, only to suddenly pause as Cadmus’s swaying steadied again. The Imperial reared up to his full height, an almost cool expression on his face, but even from where she stood, she could see his eyes blazing. For a second, the attacker shrank back as he became aware of the very unpleasant fact that a chair to the face had not knocked him out or even stunned him.

It had just made him angry.

Within seconds, she watched how her companion bent down and grabbed the severed chair leg, then practically leaped at his assailant. Facing down the consequences of his poor choices, the man tried to swing his impromptu weapon again, but to no avail. The Imperial batted it away like a mere inconvenience, then swung the chair leg into his face. The blow was enough to send the Nord sprawling and his earlier war cry was now replaced by cries of mercy as Cadmus proceeded to beat the living daylight out of him with the same eerie calm he exuded when working at his forge.

In the meantime, the last remaining assailant wisely didn’t get involved, but still demanding satisfaction, he turned to her. Katria easily dodged the first clumsy swing at her. She then ducked under the second and landed a solid blow on the man’s stomach, causing him to stagger back. She very easily blocked his attempt to retaliate and landed another blow on his temple. His angry, disoriented swings were very easy to dodge and this only seemed to make the man beside himself.

“I’ll end you, you Imperial-loving harlot! We didn’t build this city for those who’d betray their own!”

Those words, practically spat out with disdain, had her pause for a moment. She swore she’d heard those words before. Right here, in Windhelm… And as the man charged at her again, his ugly face twisted with anger and bloodlust, it suddenly dawned on her and whatever shred of civility she had left was gone.

“Wait, I know you… You’re the bastard who stole my Dwemer gyro twenty years ago!”

Her opponent paused, his final mistake. “Your _what_?”

She didn’t even give the man time to finish his sentence as she reached for the table and then violently smashed her tankard of hot mead in his face. The impact immediately sent him reeling in an explosion of mead and blood, but she was nowhere near done as she swung her foot upwards and landed a solid punt between his legs for good measure. That did the trick and she watched the pathetic excuse for a Nord crumple onto the floor, sobbing and whimpering about both his face and his likely aborted bloodline.

She didn’t feel a grain of pity. Those fools had started this, all because they felt it was their right to treat some bard horribly and then couldn’t bear being called out on their behavior. The fact that they were lying here, bleeding and battered, was all a result of inebriation and stupid pride. Clearly, having proud Nord warrior ancestors meant very little when facing an opponent who actually knew how to fight at present.

She turned to her companion, who was panting heavily and still had blood dripping all over the lower half of his face. Katria quickly grabbed a cloth napkin from the table and pressed it against his broken nose to stem some of the bleeding, at least until she could properly heal it. She had already raised her hand and was preparing to cast the spell when she suddenly heard loud screaming.

“What in Oblivion have you done to my inn?!”

Katria turned around to see the innkeeper. She looked absolutely furious and if she wasn’t some small, older Nord woman, she was pretty sure she would have run up to either of them and strangled the life out of them. She tried to speak up, but the woman didn’t let her, instead turning to Cadmus.

“You damn milk drinker! The only reason I still tolerated you in here was because I don’t want the Legion breathing down my neck. But I will not stand for you trashing my establishment and assaulting my customers!”

Katria was practically blinking in confusion. As far as she knew, the innkeeper had not witnessed the fight, yet she immediately assumed that whatever had gone down must have been their fault. Also, trashing the establishment was rather an overstatement. The only object that had been destroyed in the fight was a chair and even that wasn’t their doing.

Cadmus opened his mouth to defend himself, or as much as he could through his broken noise, when the Dunmer bard rushed back into the room and spoke up. “It was those four who started it! They were harassing me, and Cadmus and his friend told them not to. They got angry and started a fight. I can confirm it for myself, and so can the others. Isn’t that right, Captain?”

A middle-aged Nord man with long black hair and a well-kept beard nodded, albeit hesitantly, saying that Cadmus and Katria were quietly eating their meal and hadn’t done anything to provoke the drunken men, aside from telling them not to harass the bard. He then awkwardly added that he would have intervened on the pair’s behalf, had the altercation not been over in a flash. Another man, who was short and balding, corroborated their version of events and emphasized how the four men kept insulting Cadmus for being Imperial. The man didn’t hold back in saying that he had been quite agitated as well, due to also being an Imperial himself. The last man to confirm the story was a stoic-looking mercenary, who merely said that he saw what happened and would have joined either side if someone paid him. Despite the witnesses’ accounts being in their favor, however, the innkeeper was having none of it.

“I don’t care who started it. Get out of my inn.”

Katria was about to protest. “But we already paid for a room—!”

It was then that an older Nord woman dressed in fine green clothes intervened. She had risen from her table with a silent dignity and everyone fell quiet in her presence. She calmly approached Cadmus, who immediately recognized her. He greeted her politely, although he sounded barely coherent through his bloody, broken nose.

“Hello, Tova. Sorry, we’re kind of in the middle of something…”

She smiled. “I can tell. Just letting you know that if you two need a place to sleep for the night, you’re more than welcome to stay at Hjerim. After all, _some people_ in Windhelm do still know how to be hospitable to outsiders.”

Katria saw how the innkeeper glared at the woman with the intensity of a thousand suns, but all she did in return was smile politely. As for her and Cadmus, that decision was easily made and they quickly grabbed their stuff as they made their way out of this establishment of hostility. Katria couldn’t say she was sad to go.

Cadmus nodded at the woman to indicate he was ready to go, still pressing the cloth against his nose. “Thank you, Tova. We really appreciate it.”

The two of them began following the woman, Tova Shatter-Shield according to Cadmus, as she led them through the winding streets of Windhelm. They eventually stopped in front of a large house, and as the older woman searched her pockets for a key to the door, Katria discreetly asked Cadmus what was going on. She learned that the woman was the matriarch of the noble clan of the same name. They were an influential family who controlled much of the shipping trade in Windhelm’s harbor, and were on good terms with Cadmus due to him helping them when misfortune fell upon the family about a year ago.

Tova eventually found the house keys and opened the door, telling the two of them to come inside before they froze to death. Katria happily took her up on that and was surprised to find herself stepping into a spacious house. It was still rather chilly inside, in no small part because the hearth was not lit, but it was already better than being out in the cold. The Shatter-Shield matriarch moved over to the fireplace and began placing wood in the hearth.

“I’ll get the house warmed up. In the meantime you can head over to the master bedroom and at least get some blankets.”

Katria nodded, thanking her profusely. “Thank you, thank you so much!”

The older Nord woman smiled, then turned to Cadmus. “Do you also need me to call a healer? No offense, but you look like a wreck.”

Cadmus shook his head, the cloth already completely soaked in blood at this point. “We can manage from here, thank you.”

Tova raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. “Well, alright… But if you change your mind, don’t hesitate to call me at my house.”

The older Nord woman then proceeded to put more wood on the hearth and started a fire, and after a few minutes, the room slowly began to grow warmer. Once she was sure the pair had everything they needed, she bade the two of them goodnight, to which they returned the sentiment. After Tova had left, the two headed to the bedroom and Katria got to work on tending to Cadmus’s broken nose. She started by discarding the bloody cloth and getting a clean one from her knapsack. Cadmus winced a little when it made contact with his face and she tried her best to clean the wound as gently as she could. He quietly accepted her care, letting out a nasal chuckle as he held his nose in place.

“Well, I didn’t expect to get blood on my new armor so soon…”

Katria grinned, merely continuing to gently wipe the blood off her companion’s face, after which she cleaned up the drops of blood on his cuirass as well. She then held out her hand, took a deep breath, and began casting a healing spell on Cadmus. Within minutes, the cuts had begun to close over themselves and she could see his broken nose slowly set back into place. Then, once she had confirmed that his injuries had been taken care of, she took another clean, damp cloth and started wiping away the leftover blood on his face.

Cadmus smiled. “Ah, much better… Thanks, Katria.”

She chuckled and gently kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t mention it. Now aren’t you glad you agreed to teach me magic?”

He smiled at that and when he could finally speak coherently again, he gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry for making a mess of things back there.”

Katria shrugged. “Don’t be. You were not the one who decided to harass and threaten some bard at a public establishment. And no one else was doing anything about it either. Besides, they didn’t have to drag a whole damned war into it to justify their rotten behavior. Suffering is not permission to be a terrible person yourself.”

The Imperial sighed. “I know. It’s just that it seems to come in everywhere. Skyrim suffered, I get that, but so did Cyrodiil. And I am sick of having to hear people say that letting the Thalmor kill us all in battle would have been preferable to trying to save what few lives we still could. And even more of being told that every Imperial is responsible for decisions made by an Emperor who barely knows we exist.”

She rolled her eyes. “Dying for your beliefs always sounds good on paper. It sounds good in songs and to people who dream of glory in battle but never actually experienced war. It’s why people listened to Ulfric, but even he was not willing to just die in Helgen or when Windhelm fell, was he? And if every Stormcloak had truly died for their ideals, then no one would be talking about a free Skyrim now. Bold words don’t always mean anything, Cadmus, and even Nords forget that sometimes.”

He grimaced. “That doesn’t mean that Ulfric wasn’t right about some things. The thing is, maybe Skyrim _should_ be independent. Maybe the Septim Empire is at its end. After all, empires rise and fall. The Alessian and Reman Empire did and the Septims themselves are long gone. Perhaps this is not something an Imperial Legate should say, but I serve the Legion not because I believe in the Empire. I simply believe that right now, they are our best chance against a dictatorship that burned down my home when I was a child and killed too many people to count, both here and in the Summerset Isles.”

Katria couldn’t deny she was surprised hearing those words. After all, her companion seemed nothing if not dutiful. Even so, she also knew that he was a kind man, not given to blind loyalty. That meant he also felt regret at times. But she had learned long ago that regret wasn’t always sometimes you could afford. So she told him that, in no uncertain terms.

“That is what Ulfric believed about a free Skyrim as well. That is why he claimed he fought. To prepare for a fight against a bigger evil. In a perfect world, that would have made you allies. But it isn’t a perfect world. I don’t know if he was right. I don’t know if you are right. It’s just that sometimes, you have to fight people who aren’t monsters, just to resolve a conflict. You know that better than anyone else as a soldier. So don’t waste your time on people who do not. You could use that breath to live longer.”

By now, his face was clean and he started to look like his old self again. He seemed to feel a lot better too, breathing through his nose without any signs of pain. Yet most importantly, her words seemed to have an effect on him as well. He smiled at her and his voice was warm and affectionate.

“Thank you.”

She took his hand and interlocked their fingers. “You’re welcome.”

For a while, they simply sat in the bedroom in silence, wrapped up in blankets while they waited for the house to gradually warm up. While Katria was happy to be away from that wretched inn, she hadn’t expected to suddenly have an entire house all to themselves for the night. She asked Cadmus what the story behind it was, which she quickly regretted upon learning that this house used to be the residence of Friga Shatter-Shield, Tova’s daughter, and that she had been brutally murdered by a serial killer here one year ago. And while her companion reassured her that the culprit had long been caught and executed— adding that the house had also been thoroughly cleaned and exorcised since then— Katria still felt uneasy. And even though they were already planning to sleep in the same room and the same bed for the night anyway, it still greatly helped her peace of mind.

After getting out of their cloaks and armor and changing into their sleeping clothes, the pair practically burrowed beneath the thick, heavy and pleasantly warm blankets. Katria smiled as she snuggled up against Cadmus. Honestly, she quite liked this arrangement. She still wasn’t sure why sleeping next to him made her feel so safe and comfortable, but she had to admit she had missed it terribly in Solitude. As the two of them lay in bed that night, she reveled in his warmth, resting her head against his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek, letting her affection be known. Especially now that they were more than just friends and traveling companions, she didn’t have to feel awkward or ashamed of that anymore.

Cadmus happily reciprocated, running his fingers through her long hair and planting a few kisses of his own on her forehead. It still surprised Katria how gentle and delicate his touch could be, but she nevertheless allowed her body to relax. Her own fingers began tracing circles around his chest, which he seemed to like, judging by his soft, satisfied-sounding sighs. But as she trailed lower down his abdomen and tugged at the waistband of his pants, she felt Cadmus shiver. Sensing his clear discomfort, she immediately stopped and wrapped her arms around him instead. He seemed to be more comfortable with that, and did the same to her.

Katria noted how there was still some hesitation on his part in taking things further between them, and while she was a bit disappointed, she understood his reasons for wanting to go slowly. They were both far too exhausted and too sore to do other activities in bed anyway, but she was glad she could at least have this. And before she knew it, they had both fallen asleep in each other’s arms.

* * *

The two of them woke up early the next morning and made the necessary preparations for the trek to Raldbthar. They had packed some bread and dried meats, which they had for breakfast, then washed down the meal with some hot coffee. During her time in Solitude, Katria had grown quite fond of the Redguard drink, and as it warmed her belly, she was grateful that Cadmus had brought a pouch of beans with him from the kitchen back at Proudspire Manor. After making a stop at the house of Clan Shatter-Shield to thank Tova for allowing them to stay in Hjerim for the night, they made their way out of Windhelm and headed west.

The pair followed the route Katria had drawn on their map, and as Cadmus suggested, they made sure to be careful around the mill where he’d spotted dragons previously. While they did in fact see a dragon in the distance, it fortunately didn’t land on the ground and kept flying. She was quietly thankful for that. Even with a Dragonborn on her side, clad from head to toe in Ebony, she’d rather avoid any scenario where they’d have to nurse burns or extract dragon teeth again.

Eventually, as they made their way beside the half-frozen river, they saw the beginnings of a path on their left side, winding its way up the mountain. Certain that this was the route indicated on the map, she brought this to Cadmus’s attention and the two of them were soon climbing up the snowy slopes, crossing over from Eastmarch Hold and into The Pale. The ascent had been somewhat challenging due to the powdery snow and their heavy gear, and every now and then they had to deal with an aggressive Frost Troll. Still, they progressed, however slowly, and in the distance, she could already see the outlines of something other than snow and rock.

Finally, they arrived at the gates of some Dwemer ruins, which were very likely to be what remained of the Dwarven city of Raldbthar. Unfortunately, the pair could see that a gang of bandits had decided to use the ruins as a hideout and were practically crawling all over the place. Not a sight she was hoping to see.

She and Cadmus hid behind some bushes, watching the situation from a safe distance. There were at least six bandits posted outside the entrance. Three of them were archers, two were wielding one-handed swords and another had a large warhammer on his back. Katria continued to observe, trying to see if there was anything they could use to their advantage so they could get past them and enter the ruins.

The bandits were laughing and drinking amongst themselves, sharpening their knives as they loudly talked about how much money they had gotten off their latest victim. She saw that one of the bandits, a particularly ugly Nord man— who looked like his face had been bashed in with a hammer and who wasn’t wearing a shirt despite being out in the snow— was counting a pile of septims in a large pouch. He was sitting on something oddly-shaped, and it was only when he stood up again did she realize he had been casually sitting on the dead body of the person their gang had likely just ambushed and robbed. The mere sight of it angered her.

Suddenly, horrific memories flashed in her mind of those dreadful three months she’d spent with the bandits when she was seventeen years old. Memories of being treated like garbage— just a mere pawn that these terrible men and women used to lure their victims in and make their pockets fuller. Memories of the first time she’d been forced to take advantage of a stranger’s goodwill, lying on the ground and pretending to have a broken leg, while heavily armed men and women hid behind the bushes and prepared to ambush the hapless soul. Memories of getting beaten for not acting “convincingly enough” and forced to go the night without dinner, all while her supposed lover Ragnvald ate and drank with his newfound “brothers and sisters”...

She bitterly remembered how Ragnvald hadn’t even lifted a finger to help her back then, not wanting to displease the bandit chief whom he’d ingratiated himself with. He kept making the same excuses and false promises whenever Katria mentioned that she was afraid for her life and wanted to run away from the gang. He valued the gold he’d stolen and the approval of the gang’s leader over her. And when one of the bandits had tried to force himself on her, only to be stopped by a dagger to the throat, she had sobbed uncontrollably but fought to keep herself from breaking down as she had to silently dispose of the body, somehow knowing her lover wouldn’t bother to protect her from his comrades’ wrath if they found out what she did.

Part of her was furious for being stupid enough to be with that fool in the first place. Sometimes she still wondered what would have happened if she had never run away with him; if she had stayed put in that little mining town. For all she knew, he might’ve been a member of the bandits the whole time and had tricked her. She wondered if that had been Ragnvald’s plan all along— to lure her into a false sense of security so he could take advantage of her, both literally and figuratively… That or he really was just a spineless, pathetic boy, who was willing to let others burn the moment he’d been offered a false sense of camaraderie...

Katria didn’t like entertaining thoughts and regrets from her past, but now, seeing the bandits in front of her— the same kind of scoundrels as the ones who’d made her life so miserable— had brought two decades of resentment back to the surface. She could feel the rage building inside her until she felt it reach its tipping point. Maybe she should just charge in, take all that repressed anger and kill all of them right then and there… Without realizing it, she had already tightened her grip around Zephyr…

“You alright?”

Cadmus’s concerned voice brought her back to reality. He had taken off his helmet, looking her over with concern. He had that worried expression on his face again, which she had become all too familiar with by now. As her eyes met his, she realized what she was about to do and gradually loosened her grip on her bow. Her companion, seemingly catching on to what had upset her so much, simply nodded and gave her a few moments to breathe.

It took a minute for her to calm down. “Sorry. Bad memories…”

She was glad he didn’t inquire further, but he was understanding all the same. He followed her gaze back towards the bandits. She heard how he put his helmet back on and as he kept a hand on his sword, he gave her another nod.

“Ready for a fight?”

She smiled, though it was somewhere between sadness and rage. “Never been more ready.”

With those words, she took another step forward and with Cadmus in tow, she walked up the hill. The bandits, two archers and a swordsman from what she could see, immediately spotted them and she could hear the sound of unsheathing weapons and arrows being cocked on bows.

The hideous Nord, the one with the sword, moved closer. “Now ain’t this a surprise.”

Cadmus stepped forward, likely knowing it was futile, but still being a true Imperial and trying to negotiate anyway. “We have business in these ruins. Leave us be and there won’t be any trouble.”

Any reasonably smart person might have looked upon this bull of a man, armed to the teeth and dressed from head to toe in Ebony armor, and considered that statement worth listening to. Except, like the lot she’d had the misfortune of knowing, these bandits weren’t particularly smart. In fact, she saw the swordsman stare at the armor with a greedy look and the moment he opened his mouth, she knew that a fight was inevitable.

“Ha! That’s rich! Tell you what, here’s what we’re gonna do. You start running… so I can stab you in the back!”

Katria responded without hesitation. Immediately, she put one of her new arrows on her bow and fired it, faster than any of them could respond. The projectile found its way to one of the archers and buried itself deep into the woman’s eye. She swayed for a few moments, before hitting the ancient stone with a notable thud. This drew an angry scream from another bandit, and she quickly ran for cover as a barrage of arrows came her way.

She swiftly headed for some nearby rocks to hide behind. From there, she started firing more arrows, aiming for the head and legs as well as taking out another archer in the process. Her companion gratefully made use of the cover she provided. With the bandits more focused on returning her fire, he charged forward. Cadmus tackled the first one to the ground, impaling him with his sword. The other two were just as easily dispatched, their haphazard fighting no match for a soldier from the Legion.

This, in turn, caused the remaining archer to aim at him. He moved as the first arrow flew his way, causing it to bounce off his armor. The second one hit his helmet and while that one didn’t do any damage either, the force sent him reeling for a bit. Katria spotted how the archer prepared to fire again and struck first. She loaded another arrow onto Zephyr’s string and aimed, putting the projectile through their assailant’s neck.

Certain that their opponents were now dead, she left her cover. She walked up to Cadmus, who was busy looting his own kills. Katria was quite happy to leave him to it, moving up the stairs to see if the other three corpses had anything interesting on them. She was quite pleased to find gold and some good quality Elven arrows, pocketing both as she waited for her companion to join her in front of the entrance.

They gave each other one last look of reassurance, before placing their hands against the metal door and pushing it open.

The two of them moved in quietly, bows at the ready for any resistance that might come their way. The entrance hall, however, was quiet, save for a continuous stream of fire in the distance. A Dwemer trap, she suspected, but they’d deal with it as it came. Instead, they continued to proceed with caution, only to come to a halt at the same time.

To their left, she saw several bedrolls. She supposed this was where most of the bandits slept and that suspicion was quickly confirmed when she spotted another bandit on one of them, who had just been roused by the noises outside. The man practically jumped from his sleeping spot and snatched his nearby battle axe, charging at them with an angry war cry.

Katria simply reached for another arrow in response, shooting him in the arm at breakneck speed. The sudden pain caused the bandit to drop his weapon and Cadmus took that moment to rush forward, putting away his bow and drawing his sword. It cleanly severed the bandit’s head from his neck, ending the threat in one fell swoop. Katria watched with shock how it hit the floor with a notable thud, but rapidly recovered when her companion urged her to move. 

The two moved into the next corridor and finally, she could see what the flames were for. They were indeed the remnants of some kind of Dwemer flamethrower device, but no longer used to that end. Instead, they were aimed at a skewered skeever at the other wall, thoroughly roasting it in a way that could never be achieved with a campfire. Katria’s mouth twisted into a smile and the next thing she knew, she was actually chuckling.

“Well, that’s one way to use advanced Dwemer technology, I guess…”

Cadmus shared in her amusement, but as they were about to move on, something occurred to her. “Isn’t charred skeever hide suitable for alchemy? I recall we used them in potions for healing and curing diseases, right?”

The Imperial laughed. “You paid proper attention. Cut some off if you can do it safely. We can likely use it.”

Katria didn’t need to be told twice and helped herself to some of the skeever hide, while Cadmus temporarily covered the flamethrower with a frost spell to keep her safe. Once she had enough, the two of them decided to go through the corridor on their left, rather than try and traverse the flamethrower. Both of them still kept their weapons at the ready, expecting more resistance on the way.

The corridor led them to what appeared to be the higher-ranking bandits’ living quarters, as they had claimed the old stone beds as their own and had all manner of belongings strewn about. The two of them could hear footsteps and talking in the distance, and immediately, they crouched down, hiding in dark corners and trying to make as little noise as possible. The first thing to catch the pair’s attention were the healing, stamina and Magicka potions placed on some of the benches and tables. After making sure they were undetected, Cadmus gave Katria a nod, and the two promptly took the potions for themselves.

Keeping to the shadows proved to be a great strategy. The bandits could very easily be taken down with some well-aimed arrows and they managed to make their way through the living quarters without raising any alarms. In the meantime, they grabbed whatever items could be useful for them, be it arrows, coin, food, alchemy ingredients and especially lockpicks.

They soon found a much larger chamber as the corridor curved to the right again, as well as several bandits sitting, eating and drinking around a cooking spit. They hid against the far wall, trying to assess the situation. Sneaking by was not an option, especially not in their heavy armor. She could only see three more bandits from where she stood, which she supposed was doable if it came to a fight, which it inevitably would. After all, they weren’t just going to let them pass after killing their comrades. But it was very easy to lose a fight against a slight majority and if there was any advantage to gain, they should exploit it.

Her eyes were then drawn to the large Dwarven ballistae in front of her. She suspected that this was probably a sentry post in the times of the Dwemer, a first line of defense against any enemies who came through the entrance and tried to reach the city. From what she could see, however, they still looked functional. That gave her an idea.

She quietly reached out and tugged at Cadmus’s arm. He turned his head towards her and she gestured quietly towards the ballistae. He nodded, indicating that he realized what she was up to. The Nord woman nodded at him and motioned him to go forward, while she moved towards the other ballistae. He seemed to understand and she watched how he moved into position, readying himself at his respective lever after adjusting the mechanism. She did the same on her end and after counting down to three on their fingers, they both pulled the levers.

The results were instant and devastating. The gigantic bolts hit their targets on the first try, impaling them where they sat and stood. Their deaths happened in the blink of an eye, but even Katria found she took no joy in the carnage. As much as she despised bandits, she still didn’t take pleasure in taking the lives of other people, even if they were rotten to the core or if she was acting in self-defense. And while she couldn’t see Cadmus’s face behind his helmet, she could tell he felt the same.

He got to his feet and let out a deep sigh. “We should keep going. Let’s just hope that’s the last of them… or that any others decide to run.”

Katria was not about to disagree with that and they quickly rummaged through the area for anything useful. Cadmus found a large warhammer on one of the men and when asking her to read the old Nordic on it, he was surprised to hear that the inscription said the weapon was called “Aegisbane” and bore the name “Shatter-Shield”. He resolved to take it with him and bring it back to the family, prompting Katria to joke that at this stage, they might love him so much that they’d actually adopt him. She had no interest in a heavy, clumsy hammer herself, but was still happy with the other supplies and arrows she found lying around.

Even so, they were shocked when they picked the lock of a nearby gate and found a vault filled with gold, ingots, gems, gold ore and an Ebony shield— valuable items no doubt stolen from countless travelers. Both she and Cadmus wondered for a moment if they should even take the items for that reason, but she eventually reasoned that it would be of more use if they took it with them and invested it in something worthwhile. After all, the Divines knew there were plenty of people out there who could use even a fraction of these riches. Cadmus seemed to be on board with that and soon, they proceeded further into the ruins.

They went through two more heavy metal doors until they found themselves in a room with large gears turning on the various machines and mechanisms on the walls. In the middle of the room, there was a lone Dwarven Spider picking away at the rubble. Despite their best efforts to move quietly and avoid it, however, the automaton was alerted to their presence and immediately shot lightning at them. Katria barely managed to roll out of the way, only to realize that the Dwarven Spider wasn’t actually the only automaton in the room. 

From the corner of her eye, she saw Cadmus fighting off two Dwarven Spheres that had suddenly rolled in, all while the Spider kept skittering around the room, indiscriminately shooting lightning everywhere. As she got up from the floor, it was then that Katria saw that Cadmus was standing directly on an oil slick on the ground— likely a leak from all the machinery— as he fought the two Spheres. In a split second, she had formulated a plan and had already placed an arrow on Zephyr when she gave her companion a warning.

“Cadmus, dodge to the left!”

The Imperial did as he was told, and had moved out of the way just quickly enough to avoid the sudden burst of fire. Katria had managed to shoot the Dwarven Spider just when it had stepped onto the oil slick, causing it to hurl lightning again and set the oil on fire. All three automatons were caught in the flames, damaging the Spheres significantly and destroying the Spider altogether. At that point, all she had to do was shoot an arrow into one of the Spheres, while Cadmus kicked the other to the ground and stomped on its head.

He approached her, giving her an affirmative nod. “That was some quick thinking there.”

She grinned. “Thanks. We should keep going, though. I’m seeing more and more of those gears and machinery… That means we’re past the living quarters and going into the industrial zone.”

The Imperial nodded again. “This place used to be an Aetherium mining site and processing plant, right?”

The Nord woman smiled. Clearly her companion had been paying attention to her research as well. “Correct. The lower sections of Raldbthar were made up of a marketplace, an extraction site and refinery. Though that was a long time ago. By now, the raw Aetherium veins are probably long depleted. It’s a testament to the Dwarves’ engineering ability that these machines are still running long after they’ve become obsolete.”

They pushed forward, making their way through the doorway and finding themselves at the bottom of the stairs. As they were about to make their way up, however, two devices with giant spinning blades suddenly sprang up from the holes in the floor, swiveling around and going up and down the center of the stairs. Katria was quick to move back and Cadmus followed her example.

She noticed him trying to look past the blades. “These Dwarven Threshers are usually activated by a lever or button. Find that and we should be good.”

The Imperial nodded. “Alright, sounds simple enough.”

He took another step forward, only for her to stop him. “Oh no you don’t.”

She could hear him make a surprised noise behind his helmet. “We need to get past those blades somehow.”

The Nord woman shook her head. “Let me do it. If I hug the wall, I can probably get past those blades without being hurt. You… You’re too… You know...”

Her mind grasped for a proper way to say it. How did one say nicely that your companion was way too big and stocky for the task? Cadmus’s height, heavy build and musculature were very desirable traits in combat, as well as in… _other aspects_ … but not so much when trying to carefully maneuver through small and dangerous spaces.

Thankfully, her companion seemed to catch on and didn’t seem the least bit offended. “I get it. Alright, but be careful. If it’s too dangerous, get back here and we’ll find another way.”

She smiled at his clear concern for her, but nonetheless moved forward. She went to the left side of the blades and pressed herself up against the wall. Having placed herself there, she started inching up the stairs. 

Within seconds, the blades whirred past her. They missed her only narrowly, managing to shave off a bit of the fur from her cloak, and even she had to release a shaky sigh of relief at that. Even so, she kept going, slowly and steadily, advancing bit by bit, and using all of her concentration to put as much distance between herself and the blades as possible.

Meanwhile, her hands reached across the walls, trying to search for any hidden levers, chains or buttons that could deactivate the mechanism. Most of the time, those were found on the other end of traps like these, but the Dwemer were nothing if not tricksters. There was a very good chance that the means to activate and deactivate the Thresher trap were right in the thick of it and the only way to find out was to keep her eyes open and have a solid grip on the walls.

Suddenly, just as she reached the gap between the two blades, she felt her right hand slip somewhat. Rather than stone, she felt the distinct texture of Dwarven metal under her fingertips. The object was round and large, almost feeling like a button of sorts. On instinct, she pressed it and it retreated further into the wall, after which another mechanical whirring sound was heard.

Almost immediately, the blades folded and sunk back into the ground. The Nord woman waited for a few seconds just to make sure that the deactivation wasn’t temporary and that it was safe for Cadmus to move. Once thirty seconds had passed and the Threshers didn’t reactivate, she gave her companion the “go” signal. He quickly ran up the stairs and thanked her for finding a way to stop the blades, and the two of them continued onward.

The next chamber contained several pistons, which Katria assumed were once used for the Aetherium extraction facility down below. Now, the still-running machinery only served as hazards and obstacles. The moment they stepped foot in the chamber, however, the pair heard the distinct sound of metal rolling down a chute and sure enough, two more Dwarven Spheres had come rushing towards them, weapons raised. Cadmus immediately got to work in trying to dispatch the first Sphere, using the heavy back part of his sword to deal damage to the automaton’s head.

Meanwhile, Katria was busy fighting off the second Sphere. Being far too close for Zephyr to be effective, she switched to her daggers, parrying its slashes and stabbing it in an exposed area under the chestplate. Her blade found its way inside the inner chamber housing the Soul Gem that powered the automaton, and with a flick of the wrist, she managed to dislodge it from its receptacle, instantly deactivating the Dwarven Sphere. She turned to her companion, who had just done the same with the Sphere that he had been fighting. But judging by the scraps of Dwemer metal lying on the ground where the automaton used to be, she guessed he had taken out the Soul Gem in a less elegant fashion…

From there, they continued forward, going up the stairs, taking whatever useful items they could find and dispatching a few more Dwarven Spiders along the way. At the very end of the chamber, they saw a circular stone slab, surrounded by gears and metal grates on all sides and having a single lever in the middle. The pair headed towards it, immediately recognizing it as an elevator. The moment they stepped inside, however, something was heard shifting in the ceiling.

Katria looked up, only to barely get out of the way as a large, dirty white object collided with the elevator floor. She grimaced upon finding an exsanguinated body wrapped in spiderwebs, a little souvenir from one of the many unpleasant denizens that made these ruins their homes. She sighed, picking up the healing potion that had fallen out of the corpse, lamenting what little good it had done the victim.

“Lovely… Let’s just hope that damned spider already died…”

Her companion seemed to quietly agree, before nudging the corpse out of the elevator with his foot, disgust evident in his entire being. Once back inside, Cadmus pulled the lever, causing the grates to close shut around them as the stone slab began to move. Before long, the elevator had started to descend down a long, dark stone shaft, bringing the two of them deeper underground.

The Imperial took a deep breath. “Well, down we go…”

* * *

The elevator came to a stop with a loud thud after descending for several minutes. The first thing Katria immediately noticed was the change in temperature. She didn’t know how deep underground they were, but it was noticeably much colder down here than it was in the previous chamber they were in. The Nord woman couldn’t be more thankful for her new fur cloak as she wrapped it tightly around her. Cadmus did the same, evidently still feeling the drastic drop in temperature in spite of being clad in both a heavy cloak and a full set of Ebony armor.

Upon exiting the elevator, Katria heard the telltale swishing noise of yet another Dwarven Thresher trap. Sure enough, there was one going up and down the stairs again, though fortunately this time around there was enough room to maneuver and avoid getting hit by the blades as they continued their descent.

After getting past the blades, the two pushed open yet another heavy door and found themselves in a large, dark and abandoned plaza, which were very likely the remnants of Raldbthar Deep Market. The area was decrepit, though the many stone ramps, stairways and bridges were at least still standing and made traversal more manageable. As they walked through the abandoned marketplace, however, they could see other structures in the distance as well. Familiar huts, fences and gates made of Chaurus chitin, to be exact…

Katria sighed. “Great. Just what we needed. Falmer…”

She could hear Cadmus chuckle behind his helmet as he drew his Ebony bow. “Well, we both know the drill by now.”

Almost as if on cue, a Falmer Nightprowler emerged from the shadows, its weapons drawn and moving cautiously. Suddenly, there was a cacophony of squeaking and hissing sounds in the air, and it was only then that Katria noticed that they had passed by a pen made of Chaurus chitin that was housing a couple of skeevers, which had made the noises that caught the Falmer’s attention. She let loose a few arrows, killing the pests instantly, while Cadmus shot his own arrow right into the Falmer’s chest.

Repeating the same strategy they employed back in Arkngthamz, the pair moved as slowly and as quietly as their gear and armor could allow, scouting the area for enemies and dealing with the Falmer from a safe distance. They traversed the many ramps, stairs and platforms of the former multi-level Dwemer marketplace, now nothing more than a giant, empty stone and metal cavern that had been turned into a settlement by the Falmer. The place was eerily quiet save for the creaking sounds of the perpetually turning gears. The two of them were able to use this to their advantage, however, by synching their footsteps with each gear turn, effectively masking the sound of their movements.

Once they had reached the topmost platform, Katria could see a path that led to the other side of the plaza and further into the Deep Market. The problem was that there was a gap of at least twenty feet from where she stood and the opposite platform, and the drawbridge that connected the two areas was currently raised. She looked around, then turned to her companion.

“We need to look for something that can lower that bridge so we can cross.”

Cadmus nodded and immediately started to look around. After a few moments, he drew her attention to a small platform behind them. Next to the Falmer hut was something that looked like a panel and she realized he might be onto something. She followed him towards it and once they took care of the Falmer guarding the area, they were proven right as they found themselves staring at a single button on the panel.

Her companion pressed it, but nothing happened.

“Try pushing it again.”

The Imperial did as he was told, and after the second attempt, the drawbridge finally began to lower. Only, something wasn’t quite right… The bridge was moving too slowly and was making disconcerting creaking noises, only to stop halfway through. Katria tried pressing the button again, but this only made the bridge raise itself again and go in the opposite direction. The creaking noises became louder and more intense, and, not wanting to attract the attention of more Falmer, Katria pushed down on the button once more to try and stop the bridge completely.

Unfortunately, it seemed she’d pressed the button one too many times, as the bridge had stopped moving completely. And with one last creaking noise, the metal hinges broke and the drawbridge fell down into the plaza below with a loud metallic crash, leaving no way for them to cross to the other side of the plaza and now for sure alerting the other Falmer in the area of their presence.

Katria grit her teeth. “Damn it! There goes the drawbridge… Ugh, there must be something wrong with the main power source down here. It’s odd that the machinery isn’t functioning properly, whereas the ones closer to the surface were fine… Whatever the case, we need to get out of here before the Falmer get to us!”

Cadmus looked at her for a second, then looked at the remains of the now-broken drawbridge. He seemed to be formulating a plan of some sort; a way for them to get to the opposite platform without risking having to leap through a gap of twenty feet. After a few moments, he spoke again.

“I have an idea. Follow me.”

The Imperial ran back to where they were previously, and Katria, despite not knowing what exactly her companion had in mind, followed suit. He stopped directly in front of where the drawbridge had failed and seemed to be calculating the angle and distance of the gap. Katria hoped he wasn’t planning to do what she suspected— Cadmus was far too smart to try something that reckless.

He turned towards her and she could feel the intensity of his gaze even through the dark visor. “Grab on to me. As tightly as you can.”

Immediately, the Nord woman protested. “Cadmus, you’re not planning to jump, are you?! There’s no way we can clear that gap!”

The Imperial shook his head. “We’re not going to jump. We’re going to _sprint_.”

That only added to her confusion. “Eh? What are you…?”

She didn’t have time to finish her sentence as she suddenly heard the collective grunts and shrieks of what seemed to be a large group of Falmer coming towards them. She could already hear their bare feet skittering up the stone ramps, and she knew they had to make a decision then and there. Cadmus looked at her again insistently, but his voice was firm and gentle.

“Just hold on to me, Katria. I promise this will make sense. Er… well… I’ll try to make it make sense. Just… trust me, okay?”

With that, she knew the decision had been made. Whatever her companion was planning, there was one thing she knew for certain— and that was that she trusted this man with her life. And if he knew a way for them to safely escape to the opposite end of the plaza and avoid being slaughtered by a horde of Falmer, then she would put her faith in him and go along with it.

“Alright, Cadmus. I trust you.”

She didn’t waste any time as she wrapped her arms around his torso as tightly as she could, anxious about what was going to happen next. The sounds of the Falmer were growing closer and closer, and they were possibly right behind them already. The Imperial looked straight ahead at the opposite platform, took a deep breath, and positioned his body as if he were preparing to sprint.

“WULD… NAH… KEST!!!”

Suddenly, Katria found herself and Cadmus rushing forward, _flying through the air_. Everything became a blur, and she wasn’t quite sure what was going on. She barely had time to process what had just happened, as less than a second later, her feet made contact with the stone floor once more. She took a few seconds to look at her surroundings, only to realize that she and Cadmus were now on the other side of the plaza.

At first, Katria couldn’t believe what had just happened. Did Cadmus cast a teleportation spell of some sort? It took a good few seconds for her to remember the strange words he’d shouted just before the two of them were launched into the air. But when she did, it all made sense to her and she looked at him excitedly.

“Did you… Did you just use a Thu’um?”

The Imperial nodded. “I did. That one is the _Whirlwind Sprint_ Shout. I learned it from the Greybeards when I was training under them. It was the fastest way I could think of for us to cross to the other side before we’d get rushed by a swarm of Falmer.”

The Nord woman smiled. “I’m not going to complain if it works. Now let’s go, before the entire Falmer brood makes it here and starts pelting us with arrows.”

He hardly needed any more motivation. The two of them practically ran from the edge, moving through the corridors as fast as their legs could carry them as a few arrows already started flying past them. They traversed through piles of rubble and dark hallways covered in thick spiderwebs, still hearing the angry shrieks of the Falmer behind them as the wretched things were not able to find their prey. 

The further they went, the more Katria noticed that the machines around them were definitely malfunctioning. The grating sound of broken gears and pistons echoed through the stone walls while broken vents and pipes continuously pumped steam into the area. The steam reacted with the relative cold of the rest of the area, condensing into a thick mist on the ground that hindered their visibility. Both Katria and Cadmus cast Candlelight to make seeing and getting around more manageable, only to be met with the sight of some more Dwarven Spiders and Spheres, which they promptly cut down as they continued to trudge on.

Eventually, they pushed their way through another door. They firmly closed it behind them, just in case they’d have any pursuers, and looked at their current surroundings. In front of them were four buttons and on their left, they spotted a corridor barred off by long, retractable metal spikes.

The both of them turned to the four buttons and Cadmus sighed. “Knowing our good friends the Dwemer, either some of these are traps or we need to press all of them in the right order…”

In response, Katria found herself looking at the surrounding walls and upon seeing the kind of openings that could easily harbor either darts or streams of fire, she had to concur. “Maybe we should try hitting them with arrows. See what happens first.”

Her companion nodded quietly. “Let’s. I doubt these can cause an earthquake, at least…”

With that settled, they each took a few steps backwards, allowing for enough distance between them and the buttons in case any of them triggered a trap. Katria took point and aimed Zephyr at the first button. Her suspicion was confirmed and soon, a stream of fire was unleashed. The heat was intense and they could only watch as the area around them lit up, thoroughly roasting the spot where one of them would have stood if they were naïve enough to press the button themselves.

They waited for the trap to deactivate again by itself and the Nord woman again took aim. The second button emitted a dull clicking sound, but nothing else happened otherwise. She tried the third and immediately, she heard the metal spikes slide down as the gate opened. Not bothering to press the fourth button now that the path ahead had been cleared, the two of them rapidly stepped through and readied their weapons for what lay ahead.

* * *

After going through another door and opening a gate, the pair found themselves in a large chamber with all sorts of Dwarven machinery noisily running. The cacophony of metallic clicking and creaking sounds from the generators and gear columns, mixed with the loud noises made by the pistons and steam vents, were almost enough to give Katria a headache, but she knew that they were in the right place. This must be the Aetherium extraction site and refinery, although much like the other machines in the Deep Market area, something seemed to be wrong with the generators here as well. Even from a distance, she noticed that not all of the gears were turning properly and some of them appeared to be jammed. That at least explained all the power issues and malfunctioning machinery that they encountered earlier.

From the corner of her eye, she saw another drawbridge on the opposite end of a large pool of water. She saw a pedestal with a button right next to the spot where the bridge would have lowered, though this time it looked as if the power had been cut off completely and the button itself was sealed shut behind a metal panel. Katria looked around the chamber again, trying to pinpoint exactly which gears were malfunctioning and how many of them they’d have to fix in order to restore power to the generators.

She turned to her companion. “We have to get these generators running properly again. That means we’ll need to remove whatever is obstructing those gears.”

Cadmus nodded, but also pointed towards something else. “I think we should take care of another obstacle before we do that…”

Her eyes followed the direction in which her companion was pointing, and sure enough, she saw more Falmer huts, as well as a few of the creatures wandering about with their weapons drawn. Farther off in the distance, she could also hear a distinct clicking and clattering noise and see the vague silhouettes of some Chaurus behind a gated control room.

“Oh, Shor’s balls…”

Her companion couldn’t help but snicker at her obvious irritation. Even so, he took the lead and crouched, trying to quietly move towards a nearby Falmer. The wretched creature was clad in thick armor from head to toe, which would make targeting it with arrows particularly difficult. Instead, the Imperial waited in the shadows until it was close enough, after which he quickly grabbed it from behind and slit its exposed throat, killing the Falmer within a few seconds.

Meanwhile, Katria targeted the other unarmored Falmer lurking around. Once more, she used the various machinery noises to her advantage, moving in sync with the creaking of the gears. She carefully took aim at their heads, drawing the bowstring when a piston would retract, and releasing an arrow at the same time a steam vent would whistle. This strategy proved to be quite efficient, and with her and Cadmus’s combined efforts, it didn’t take long before all the Falmer in the chamber had been taken out. 

All that was left were the Chaurus locked behind the control room, but the both of them were smart enough not to bother lockpicking and opening the gate to release the creatures. Instead, they decided to again handle the situation from a safe distance, shooting arrows into the Chaurus’ heads and avoiding their sharp pincers and acidic poison spray. Only when they were sure the creatures were dead did Katria take out some lockpicks from her belt satchel and begin working on opening the gate. Inside the room were mostly Chaurus eggs and all manner of disgusting filth, but there were also two chests containing gold and healing potions, as well as a few metal ingots on a stone slab, which were always a welcome addition to their inventory.

With all the threats in the room taken care of, the pair could now safely proceed with finding and removing the obstruction from the gears, which would hopefully restore power to the generators and allow them to activate the drawbridge. They found the first piece of obstruction in a set of gears in a column directly in front of the control room where the Chaurus were. Upon closer inspection, they both came to the grisly realization that what was jammed inside was in fact an entire leg. It had clearly been there for a long time since all that was left of it was bone and it was no longer clear whether it once belonged to a Man, Mer or Beastfolk. Katria looked at the gears, paying attention to how they moved and how fast they were spinning. Even with the obstruction, the gears were still heavy and were spinning too fast and too erratically.

She shook her head. “No use trying to reach in there with our hands, unless we want to end up like the person who lost that leg…”

Cadmus agreed. “We can try to pry it loose with a long metal bar, or…”

His tone of voice indicated that he’d just come up with an idea, and Katria watched as he outstretched his arm, but didn’t actually reach into the still moving gears. And then it hit her. Of course! They had been practicing the spell for the past few weeks anyway; now was the perfect time to use it!

Her companion turned to her as she moved right next to him and reached out as well. “On the count of three, we’ll both pull it towards us, alright?”

She nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay. One… two… three…!”

The leg came out with a loud pop and fell unceremoniously to the floor. The gears immediately started turning properly again, spinning at the same speed and tempo as the other functional ones in the room. Katria took a moment to catch her breath— she was still quite new to using magic after all, and even then she had only used Telekinesis on small objects like quills and coins back in Solitude.

Still, that was only one piece of obstruction. She could still hear a few more creaking noises and knew that there was more work to be done. For the next few minutes, she and Cadmus searched around the chamber, locating the other jammed gear columns and using Telekinesis to safely pull out whatever was stuck in them. Close to the left-hand side of the large pool of water, they found another set of obstructed gears, this time with a skull inside it. On the right side of the pool, there was another set of gears right next to a Falmer hut that had an entire spine, ribcage and pelvis stuck in it. As she and her companion removed each of the body parts, the Nord woman didn’t even want to think of how those poor souls met their gruesome end.

After a while, it seemed all the gears in the chamber were functioning again, but there was still a persistent creaking noise. Cadmus walked up to the pedestal and confirmed that the button was still sealed behind the metal plate and didn’t have power. That only meant that one set of gears was still jammed, but where? The two of them were quite certain they’d checked the entire room…

As they stood on the edge of the water, however, Katria noticed something. The creaking sound she heard was different, almost as if it were muffled. She looked to her right and saw splashing and bubbling in the water, and she knew that had to be the last set of obstructed gears they were looking for. She looked at Cadmus, who seemed to be thinking the same thing she was. 

He gave her a quiet nod. “I’ll stay here and keep an eye out for you. If anything goes wrong, I’m getting in the water too, heavy armor be damned.”

She smiled at his concern for her. “It’s okay, I can handle it. I’ll get the job done and be back before you know it.”

With that, she took off her cloak and started removing her armor. Once she had shed a sufficient amount of weight, she carefully waded into the water. It was freezing cold and was deeper than she initially thought, but she pushed on. She took a moment to cast Candlelight before taking a deep breath and diving down into the murky depths below. Following the trail of bubbles she saw earlier, she eventually located the final set of gears, which had a large bar of Dwemer metal stuck inside.

She reached out her hand and focused the Magicka in her body, trying to pull the metal bar towards her. It had admittedly been difficult, as she had to concentrate on three things at the same time— pulling the bar out with Telekinesis, keeping her Candlelight spell active, and also holding her breath underwater. It took all her concentration to pull the bar out of the gears, but eventually, it dislodged. As soon as it did, she swam up to the surface, gasping for air. She gratefully took Cadmus’s hand as he helped her get out of the water, and the moment her feet touched the floor, he immediately cast a fire spell to warm her shivering body.

It took a few minutes for her body to warm up again, and once she was sufficiently dry, Cadmus helped her get back into her armor and cloak. By now the creaking noises in the room had ceased, and all that could be heard were the whirring sounds of gears that were finally functioning properly. Looking at the pedestal again, Katria could also see that the button was now free to press and was glowing light blue, indicating that the power had finally been restored to the generators.

She pressed it, and the drawbridge on the other end of the pool began to lower. Unfortunately, the bridge wasn’t the only thing that got reactivated after they’d restored power to the generators…

The two of them instantly hid behind the gear columns when they saw that a Dwarven Centurion Master had just sprung to life. It had been hidden directly behind the raised drawbridge, and apparently the button for lowering the bridge activated it as well. They could feel the ground shake as the tall, heavy automaton started moving, looking around for intruders to dispatch.

They needed to move, and quickly. The more distance they could put between themselves and the heavy, powerful pile bunkers and steam cannons on its arms, the better. Despite being stronger and more intimidating, however, the larger automaton also had a vital weakness— it was slow, lumbering and was easy to outrun. Even with the added bulk of their armor, knapsacks and cloaks, the pair were still able to run and stay far away from the Dwarven Centurion Master, all while shooting at it with Ebony arrows. 

Being the better marksman of the two, Katria ran over to the opposite end of the chamber and shot a barrage of arrows at the automaton’s exposed joints and other weak points with devastating speed and accuracy. At the same time, Cadmus shot it from the far end of the room. Already she could see the machine struggling to move, only managing to flail its arms around and drive the pile bunkers into the floor as it continued to be pelted with arrows on all sides. The Nord woman was confident that she would only need a few more shots to take it down, but as she reached into her quiver for another arrow, her hand only grabbed air.

Unfortunately for Katria, the Centurion Master had decided to turn its attention towards her during that split second when she got distracted. She only barely managed to avoid a powerful steam cannon attack and hid behind another gear column as she scrambled to draw her daggers. She didn’t want to have to fight the machine in close quarters, but it appeared she had no choice…

“Katria!”

Suddenly, she heard her companion shout, drawing the automaton’s attention away from her. From where she hid, she saw how Cadmus removed his helmet and looked straight at the Centurion Master, which was now charging straight towards him. He didn’t flinch, instead taking a calm, deep breath as the automaton drew closer and closer.

“YOL… TOOR… SHUL!!!”

Upon uttering those words, a powerful breath of fire erupted from the Imperial’s mouth. Katria could only look on in sheer awe as her companion assaulted his opponent with fire exactly the same way a dragon would. She knew just how powerful a Dragonborn could get, but seeing it all with her own eyes was another thing entirely. The Centurion Master was caught in a sea of flames, sparks and embers flying everywhere and entire chunks of Dwemer metal falling off it from the intense heat. The inferno lasted no more than thirty seconds, but that was all Cadmus needed. With the automaton significantly weakened, he charged towards it with his Ebony sword, thrusting it into the Centurion Master’s now exposed chest frame with great force, before kicking it to the ground stomping on the Soul Gem receptacle.

Katria ran up to her companion, who was panting heavily as sweat poured down his face. She was worried that he might have overexerted himself, but he reassured her, saying that he just needed a few moments to catch his breath. She didn’t blame him. She could barely imagine just how much physical and mental fortitude it would take in order to use the Thu’um. Thankfully, Cadmus had both in abundance, and he recovered after just a few minutes.

With the automaton defeated, the two of them could go on towards what seemed to be the very end of the ruins. Before proceeding, however, they stopped to salvage whatever valuable materials they could from the Centurion Master’s remains, such as the Grand Soul Gem that powered it in the first place, some Dwemer Oil, and most notably, the Centurion Dynamo Core. 

Katria also made sure to go around the room once more to pick up any Ebony arrows that could still be used. Fortunately for her, most of the arrows had survived both the fight with the Centurion Master and their sniping at the Falmer from earlier, and she walked back towards her companion with two dozen in hand. She split the bundle evenly, giving twelve arrows to Cadmus and keeping the other half for herself. Of course, the Daedric arrows they found on the automaton itself were a great help as well.

She looked at the fallen Dwarven Centurion Master, then back at Cadmus. “That was pretty devastating. Why is it that you don’t use the Thu’um more often in combat?”

He merely responded with a shrug and a chuckle as he put his helmet back on. “You wouldn’t use a warhammer to swat a fly, now would you?”

He had a point there. Still, now that the path was clear, they pushed forward, going through another corridor until they reached a chamber that was blocked off with another set of retractable metal spikes. Fortunately, there were no trick buttons this time around and they easily cleared the spikes by pulling a lever on the wall. Upon entering the chamber, they were attacked by more Dwarven Spiders and Spheres, but after having just dealt with a much larger and more formidable opponent, this particular fight was easy in comparison.

After clearing the room of the threats, the pair cautiously walked around, examining their surroundings. The first thing they noticed was another elevator behind a gate, which presumably led back up to the surface, judging by how there wasn’t another shaft leading further underground. There was another thing inside the room that caught Katria’s attention, however. In the middle of the chamber was a square stone platform with an odd mechanism on top of it. Curious about the unfamiliar device, she walked up to it to have a closer look.

The device was roughly six feet in diameter, and was composed of several ornate, intricately interlocking rings made of solid Dwemer metal. There was a metal pedestal in front of the rings, but in the place where one would expect a button to be, there was only an empty spherical receptacle. At the very center of the arrangement of rings were three crystal orbs of varying sizes, which Katria immediately recognized as Dwarven Glass— a mineral often used for focusing and redirecting beams of light for powering specialized machinery such as astrolabes. She wondered what the mechanism was even doing here in the first place, situated deep inside an abandoned old marketplace and Aetherium processing plant. Did it perhaps guard another Dwemer secret? Her scholarly mind began racing with all sorts of thoughts and hypotheses, wondering what this strange device could be and what its function was.

She regarded the curious mechanism with interest. “Huh, I’m not sure what this is but it doesn’t appear to be related to the Aetherium Forge… Hey, if we ever come back here in the future or find more of these devices, do you think we can check it out?”

Her companion nodded. “Of course. But first, we should go get what we came here for.”

She also nodded her head in agreement. “Right. Let me just quickly take note of this for posterity…”

With that, she quickly took her journal out and began rapidly sketching the mechanism on a blank page, making sure to include important details in its appearance and construction and jotting down a few notes as well. Once she was satisfied with the sketch, she closed her journal and put it away again, gesturing to Cadmus that they should continue looking for the Aetherium Shard.

It didn’t take very long for them to find it. They discovered the Shard in a hallway to the right of the room, and much like with the first two Shards, Katria was filled with so much excitement that she practically ran towards it. She carefully picked up the glowing crystal from its pedestal, sighing happily as she held it in her hands.

“That’s three out of four. We’re so close…”

Even through his helmet, she could tell Cadmus was smiling. “Always nice to see you so happy whenever we find another Aetherium Shard.”

She smiled back at him as she carefully put the Shard away in her knapsack along with the others. “Well, you know what else would make me happy right now?”

The Imperial tilted his head to the side. “Hmm?”

The Nord woman walked up towards him and placed a hand on his chestplate. “A nice hot meal, a bath, and a soft, warm bed… preferably with you under the sheets with me.”

He placed his own hand on hers. “I’m not going to say no to that… but first, we should probably get out of these ruins.”

Katria chuckled. “Yeah, we should.”

After taking any other valuable items they could find in the room, they took the elevator back up to the surface, inwardly thankful that the Dwarves had the foresight to build such a contraption. Katria was pleased to see the sun again after spending several hours deep underground, and even though it was already starting to set by then, she still relished the sunlight for as long as she could. She may have been going into Dwemer ruins for the past twenty years, but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy getting out of them as well.

Smiling and feeling accomplished, she turned towards Cadmus. “So, where to next?”

Her companion pointed eastward. “We can probably make it to Kynesgrove before it gets dark. I sure as Oblivion don’t want to go back to Windhelm.”

She snickered. “You and me both.”

And so it was settled. She and Cadmus headed for Kynesgrove, with three Aetherium Shards in tow. Tomorrow, they would begin the search for the fourth and final Shard, and as they walked together across the snow-covered roads, side by side and hand in hand, Katria couldn’t help but smile. Now, more than ever, she was confident and optimistic that they could actually see this journey through to the end.


	10. Respite at the Aalto Hot Springs

It was snowing heavily that morning.

Sometimes Cadmus couldn’t quite fathom how cold and snowy Eastmarch was despite being so close to the border with the relatively warm and temperate province of Morrowind. Even with a gambeson, full armor and a thick fur cloak on, he still felt terribly cold and wondered how or why in the world anyone would want to live in this particular region of Skyrim. He much preferred the milder climate of Haafingar himself, though if he had his way he would’ve wanted warm weather all year round. He kept those thoughts to himself, however, as he and Katria walked slowly and carefully, not wanting to take a wrong step in the powdery snow that was continuing to build up on the ground as they walked towards the Dwemer ruins of Mzulft.

They had an early start that day, waking up at six in the morning after a wonderful dinner, a hot bath and a good night’s sleep at the Braidwood Inn in Kynesgrove. The pair had a quick breakfast of bread and cheese, then made use of the alchemy table to brew up some more potions for the trip. Before leaving the inn, Cadmus approached a courier they’d met the night before, paying him a generous amount of gold to safely return the warhammer he’d found the other day to the house of Clan Shatter-Shield in Windhelm. The young man was happy to oblige, carrying the wrapped-up warhammer as if it were a baby and promising to protect it with his life until it reached its destination. Cadmus chuckled, glad to have made someone else’s day while at the same time being able to return a precious item to some of the few halfway decent people left in Windhelm.

On their way towards the ruins, the two of them were also fortunate enough to have come across another Khajiit caravan in the area, and they happily traded in some of the ingots, gems and other valuables they’d taken from the bandits back at Raldbthar for some more arrows and a few lockpicks as well. As always, the folk from Elsweyr were excited to trade with them, expressing particular interest in the gems. In turn, they found themselves a little richer, with more supplies and more than ready to tackle whatever awaited them at Mzulft.

After a long, arduous climb up the snowy slopes, the ancient ruins finally came into sight. At the same time, the snow finally stopped, giving the pair a clear view of the large and imposing ruins of Mzulft. The topmost buildings of the former Dwarven city lay atop large rock formations, and even from where they stood, Cadmus could see a gigantic dome with what appeared to be a crystal roof of some sort. The two of them took in a deep breath, readying themselves for what was up ahead. Even with their experience, neither of them was stupid enough to take an ancient ruin like this lightly.

Cadmus moved his hand to his sword. “How long do you think it’ll take to run across any Falmer?”

Katria shrugged. “Too soon. That’s always the right answer in that situation.”

He found himself grimacing at her remark. Still, just dawdling here and talking about how much they hated Falmer wasn’t magically going to yield them the last Aetherium Shard. As such, he took another step forward, prepared to brave whatever was in there. As he did, however, he suddenly felt Katria’s hand on his shoulder. Her grip was rather insistent and he turned to look at her.

“You see that over there?”

She pointed his attention to what looked like another nearby building. For a second, he thought it was another Dwarven elevator, but the building was enclosed in stone and there were no signs of metal gates, gears or levers. Upon closer inspection, he also noticed that the door was different. He watched how his companion walked towards it, carefully eyeing the architecture and cross-referencing it with some of the sketches in her journal, before turning back towards him.

“This looks like a storage room. From what I found, the Dwemer in this city kept their Aetherium ‘outside’ due to how unstable it could be.”

Realizing she might be onto something, he stepped closer. “You think the Shard might be in there instead?”

The Nord woman hesitated for a moment. “I can’t be sure. But I think we should check it out first. It’ll take less time than going through an entire underground city, at least.”

That sounded logical enough to him. Deciding that Mzulft itself could wait a bit longer, he instead joined her at the door of the storage room. He watched how Katria took out her bow, just in case, and they went in, bracing themselves for what might be inside.

They descended down a stone hallway with two Dwarven head statues mounted on either side of the walls. Moving forward, the first thing they came across was a large gate. It was locked, and the other side of it was too dark for them to discern what could possibly be in the next room. On the right side of the gate was a pair of metal doors that were also shut tight, though the lock for the doors appeared to be less intricate than the one for the gate and could be picked open fairly easily.

Cadmus looked at both locked doors, then turned to Katria. “So, which door should we start with?”

She was already rummaging through her belt satchel for some lockpicks. “The one on the right makes more sense to me. Give me a few moments and I should get it open.”

The Nord woman then crouched in front of the metal doors, inserting a small knife and a lockpick into the keyhole. He watched how she skillfully turned both the lockpick and the lock itself with practiced precision, and within a few seconds they heard a familiar “click” that indicated success. The two of them then pushed open the heavy metal doors and found themselves inside a small stone room.

Katria’s eyes practically lit up upon seeing what was inside. It was a Dwemer vault, containing all sorts of artifacts, ranging from ceramic bowls, metal plates, goblets, forks and spoons; to gears, cogs, gyros, ingots and solid Dwemer metal. In the room were also a few chests and a Dwemer Convector. She happily helped herself to some of the rarer items, marveling at the craftsmanship and the advanced techniques the Dwarves must have employed to create these seemingly innocuous household items. Cadmus also took a few artifacts for himself, but the both of them knew better than to be greedy and only pocketed what they could comfortably carry in their knapsacks and belt pouches.

At the end of the room, they encountered another locked door, this time with a more advanced locking mechanism. The Imperial noticed that it looked similar to the lock they saw on the gate earlier, and deduced that this smaller room must be connected to the larger one. He took out a small knife and a few lockpicks of his own and crouched down, trying to get the door to open. He had successfully picked many locks before, and he knew that it required patience, precision and dexterity. He possessed the first two traits; the third one, however…

“Ah. Damn it. It broke again…”

Within a few minutes, there was a pile of broken lockpicks on the ground and Cadmus had to admit he felt more than a little embarrassed about failing to pick the lock in front of Katria. It seemed his large, burly hands were better suited for wielding a sword or swinging a hammer…

His companion crouched down next to him, chuckling. “Mind if I give it a try?”

He happily obliged, standing up and stepping aside to give her some space. “Be my guest.”

The Nord woman immediately got to work, inserting her knife and lockpick into the keyhole. He watched as her smaller, more dexterous fingers rotated both lock and lockpick slowly, but purposefully. She had a look of sheer concentration on her face, the same one she had during their training back in Solitude. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight. There were many things about Katria that attracted him to her, but her willpower and determination were high up on the list of traits he admired.

“Got it!”

The triumphant sound of her voice immediately preceded the metallic “click” of the door unlocking. The two of them then pushed it open and proceeded into the next chamber, and once they were inside, they confirmed that they were in fact on the other side of the gate they saw earlier. To their right, they saw a stone slab and upon approaching it, they saw that on the slab were some more Dwarven ingots, a Dwarven battleaxe that appeared to have an enchantment on it, and most importantly… 

The fourth and final Aetherium Shard.

Katria picked up the Shard, a look of disbelief on her face as she held it in her hands.

“Huh. I… I didn’t expect it to be _that_ easy.”

Cadmus couldn’t help but chuckle. “You almost sound disappointed.”

She shrugged as she put the Shard away in her knapsack. “Well, I at least expected resistance of some sort. Like some Dwarven automatons or Falmer… But hey, I’m not going to complain. What matters is that we finally have all four Aetherium Shards, and…”

He finished her sentence for her. “And now all that’s left is to find the Forge itself.”

She smiled as she took out her journal and map. “Yeah… I’ve got a lead on that, too. I have a general location, right here. We need to look for some ruins in the southwestern wilds of The Rift, just southeast of Ivarstead.”

He nodded. “Alright. Sounds like we’ll have a place to stop for the night, too.”

She closed her journal and began rolling up the map. “Mm-hmm. And in the morning, we can search the forests for those ruins. I know for sure that it’s not Avanchnzel, at least, since that’s farther east than where we need to be. So that narrows it down somewhat.”

“Any other clues?”

“Not a lot. There was very little information in the books I read when I was trying to pinpoint this location. No name, no identifying information, but page after page of ruined diagrams. I do know, however, that we need to look for an _astrolabe_ and a _gear_ in the ruins.”

“Astrolabe and gear. Got it. Anything else?”

“Well, there should also be a slot for a key. That’s what the Aetherium Shards are for, after all. So we’ve got those three things to look out for when we search. It may not seem like much right now, but… I think we might actually have enough information to go on.”

He watched her put away her stuff, and noticed that she had a look of unease on her face. “How are you feeling? Now that we have all the Shards, I mean.”

She sighed. “Honestly… I’m excited, but also kind of nervous. I mean, I did my research, so I’m fairly certain I have the right location. But at the same time, I don’t really have an idea of what to expect when we get there… I guess… Deep down, I’m still scared that this entire endeavor might be for nothing… It sounds stupid after everything we’ve accomplished, I know…”

He walked up to her, moving the hair out of her face and caressing her cheek. “We’ll deal with it when it comes. Whatever is waiting for us at the Aetherium Forge, you know I’ll be there to support you no matter what.”

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. “I know, and I’m grateful for that. Thank you, Cadmus.”

He held her close, stroking her long hair. Part of him lamented the fact that their embrace was held back by their cloaks and armor, but he relished it nonetheless. They parted again after a few moments, and after one last look around, they exited the Dwarven storeroom with all four Aetherium Shards on hand.

Before leaving the area completely and going out into the wilderness again, they briefly discussed what their route would be to get to Ivarstead. Katria suggested that the fastest way to get to the village would be to cut through central Eastmarch in a straight line rather than following the many winding roads in the Hold. Cadmus agreed, and soon, Mzulft was far behind them, as was any sign of snow.

* * *

Sometimes, even he forgot how little of Eastmarch was actually a frozen wasteland. As the capital of the Hold was settled on a narrow strip of tundra, it was easy to assume that most of the area was like that too. But it was, after all, close to the border with Morrowind, home of the Red Mountain, and as such, it had its fair share of volcanic activity as well.

This was very evident when one headed south from Windhelm. After a few hours of walking, the Imperial took note of how drastically the environment had changed. The area they were now in was covered in cracks caused by seismic activity, with steam rising up from the fissures. Bubbling hot water rose to the surface and flooded large parts of the rocky plains, and faint rumbles could be heard under their feet every now and then. The landscape looked both rugged and awe-inspiring and every now and then, he couldn’t help but to stop and admire it.

Katria seemed to notice his enthusiasm for the environment by the time they reached the vicinity of the Eldergleam Sanctuary. “The Aalto is impressive, isn’t it?”

He nodded quietly. “It is. I mean, we have some volcanic activity on Topal Island back in Cyrodiil, but it looks way different here than it does there, or in Morrowind for that matter.”

She smiled. “So have you ever bathed in any hot springs in either place?”

He shook his head. “Wanted to, but never had time. They don’t exactly give you leave to relax in the hot springs in the Legion, and in the ten years after, well… I just never got around to it for some reason.”

Suddenly, Katria stopped and when he turned back to look at her, she smirked. “How about now?”

Her suggestion came completely out of nowhere and it gave him pause for a second. “What do you mean?”

Her smile didn’t lessen in the slightest. “How about we take a break from our journey and spend some time at one of the hot springs here?”

Before he realized it, he was frowning behind his helmet. “Well, I would like that, but… Shouldn’t we try and make our way to Ivarstead? I mean, this will hold up our search for the Forge…”

Much to his surprise, she shrugged. “The Forge will not run away. Besides, we still have plenty of time to get to Ivarstead before dark. We have four Shards already. Why not just kick our feet up for a bit and enjoy some of Skyrim’s natural wonders?”

The Nord woman sounded incredibly relaxed and at ease, almost more so than when they were still in Solitude, and it did make him think. He had to admit, the idea of them spending some more time together, not caught up in finding Dwarven artifacts, maneuvering through traps, fighting automatons and dodging Falmer weapons, was a pleasant one. Especially since she suggested something he’d never done before.

He removed his cloak and put his knapsack down on the ground. “Alright. I suppose we can take a little break…”

Katria’s eyes practically lit up upon hearing that. With a strange new spring in her step, she walked to the edge of a nearby pool, removed her own cloak and set her knapsack down as well, then started reaching for the straps of her armor. Soon, she had discarded the steel armor, gambeson and the usual clothes she wore underneath. He thought that was the end of it, only for him to freeze in surprise as her undergarments suddenly came off as well.

“K-Katria, what… What are you…?!”

His companion seemed completely unbothered, even turning around to face him while completely naked. The civilized part of his brain was screaming at him to look away and give her some privacy, but he instead found himself fixated. Suddenly, his helmet felt very hot and stuffy and he frantically took it off just so he could breathe, though that also gave him full view of the sight in front of him. Soon, his eyes were darting all over her body and from just a look at her face, he could tell that Katria didn’t mind at all.

“Wet undergarments mean sickness and infection later. Besides, the water is wonderfully warm. So… care to join me?”

There were many things he could say to that, but none of them were coming out of his mouth. Her entire invitation caught even him off guard. Of course, he was no stranger to the sight of naked women nor to sleeping with them, but the last time he’d been with someone was so long ago that the memory was blurry. Traveling around Tamriel afforded little time to build any romances or even casual relationships, and seeing how he liked not getting venereal diseases more than he did having intercourse, he also tended to stay away from brothels.

Of course, it was different with Katria. Here was a beautiful, strong and intelligent woman whom he was very much interested in, and with whom he was well on the way towards establishing something romantic. Still, it took some getting used to the reality that she would no longer be shy around him.

He was glad when he finally found it in him to answer. “Alright.”

With that, he approached the edge of the pool as well and began taking off his own armor. By now, Katria had already gotten into the water and he noticed how she was watching him with intense fascination. He had to admit he felt a little embarrassed— he had no problems with nudity in the Legion and in other unavoidable circumstances, such as when one had to relieve themselves, but this moment was different. What was happening right now was undoubtedly intimate in nature and before he fully realized it, he could already feel himself growing excited.

He heard his companion giggle playfully the moment he took his shirt off. That made him hesitate for a bit, and he began to second-guess whether it was appropriate for him to join her in the water in his current state. Still, seeing how she felt perfectly comfortable being in the nude with him, he eventually decided to let go of his own shyness and soon stripped down completely as well. 

He put his discarded clothes, armor and knapsack next to hers, lying against a fallen log. Thinking for a moment, he quickly cast a ward over them, just in case someone would have the bright idea to try and steal anything. Then, he turned to an impatient Katria and got into the water.

As he stepped over the edge into the pool, Katria was treated to a full view of his body as well, and he gathered from the look on her face that she was not disappointed by what she saw either. He noticed how she took in the sight in front of her, looking him over for several moments, her gaze starting from his face and trailing all the way down...

She almost sounded flustered upon seeing him like this. “You… You look really good.”

He suddenly felt heat creep into his cheeks. “Thank you…”

Stepping into the sulfuric pool was a strange sensation. At first glance, the water seemed to be boiling, but as he put his foot in, he realized it was not agonizingly hot. It sure was better than the cold Skyrim air all around them and as such, he quickly lowered himself into the pleasantly warm reprieve. He found a nice spot to sit while remaining submerged up to his shoulders and soon, he felt every little ache in his body abate.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”

He looked over at Katria. She was swimming around a little in the deeper part of the pool, submerging herself entirely every now and then. She seemed perfectly content, letting out a rather satisfied-sounding sigh as she switched to floating on her back. Her long dark hair had spread out over the water and her wet skin glistened in the sunlight. Honestly, he could just stare at her all day. She was just so… entrancing.

He simply watched her, mesmerized. “Yeah, it does…”

Cadmus sat in his spot for a while, reveling in the hot water, leaning his back and shoulders against the smooth volcanic stone. He closed his eyes for a few minutes, breathing in deeply as his body continued to relax. He had never experienced a bath this rejuvenating before and in all honesty, he could have dozed off right then and there, were it not for the sound of splashing a few feet away. He opened his eyes again and saw that Katria had swum to a spot in the middle of the pool, where there was a large rock formation and a little waterfall trickling down. He watched how she happily placed her head under the cascading water and began washing her hair. After a while, she turned towards him and beckoned for him to come closer.

“Ahh… The water’s nice and hot over here. Come join me!”

The Imperial didn’t need to be told twice. He swam up to her and joined her by the little waterfall, and he couldn’t resist putting his head under it as well. Feeling the warm water run over his scalp was immensely refreshing and then and there, he felt that Katria’s idea to have a brief respite here was easily one of her best. For a few brief moments, he could forget all about the rest of the world and the problems that came with it. He could forget about being Dragonborn, even if only for this fleeting moment, and simply relax and enjoy the wonderful hot water and the amazing company he had with him. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while— a feeling of bliss.

That feeling only intensified when he suddenly felt Katria swim up to him from behind and slip her arms around his waist. He felt her press up against his back as she buried her face in his shoulder, planting a few soft kisses on his skin. He reveled in the embrace, this time without any furs or armor to separate them, and he allowed his body to relax as her hands began roaming up and down, caressing his torso. He marveled at how soft she felt despite all her muscle, but as good as it was to have her flush against him without any barriers, he’d much rather see her face as well.

Deciding to act on that desire, he squirmed in her grip. Sensing his movement, she slackened her hold somewhat, allowing him to turn around and face her. She grew red, giggling like a little girl when he moved her wet hair away from her face and tenderly kissed her forehead. She didn’t protest at all when he then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down to a shallow spot under the little waterfall with him, having her sit in his lap so their bodies were mostly submerged in the warm, soothing water.

He felt how she practically curled up against him, resting her head on his chest and completely relaxing in his arms, without a single hint of fear or hesitation— a far cry from the day he’d carried her out of Arkngthamz. It was almost funny, just how much had changed between them in a few short months. Now, she was completely comfortable with his touch and seemed to be at ease touching him as well.

She looked up at him as she lazily traced patterns across his arms and chest. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, how is your scar? From the dragon attack, I mean.”

It surprised him that she brought up their little misadventure in Dragon Bridge. “It’s healed quite nicely since then. It stopped hurting a few days after we arrived in Solitude, and honestly, I haven’t thought about it much at all. Why do you ask?”

She shrugged. “Just curious. Older folks say the silt in these pools have minerals in them that’s good for your skin. Supposedly helps with bruises, burns and scars, too.”

He chuckled. “I doubt that’ll do much for me. My skin is mostly scar tissue at this point.”

She smirked. “Fair enough. Actually, I was wondering… Can I… have a look at it? If you don’t mind, that is.”

Cadmus suspected it was probably a pretext more than anything, but seeing that it was Katria, he nonetheless happily obliged. “Sure…”

Almost immediately, he felt one of her hands lower, dancing across his chest to his ribcage and then his abdomen. Soon, her fingers found the scar tissue and he sensed how she touched it with extra care. He found her looking down as well, almost as if she was trying to see it through the rippling water, though there was a good chance that she was looking at something else entirely… 

Even so, she sounded perfectly professional. “I’m glad it healed up nicely. I don’t know if you remember, but… it looked terrible that night back in Dragon Bridge.”

He smiled. “Thankfully, I was too busy crying, screaming and cursing out everyone in the room to notice. And after that, too sleepy.”

His self-deprecation made her laugh. “Well, at least it doesn’t hurt anymore, right? Or has that area become numb to touch due to the scar tissue?”

All he could do was shrug at that. “It doesn’t hurt, and I’m sure there’s some sensation left, but I don’t really know. After a while, when you get maimed a lot, you stop worrying about it all that much unless it affects your daily life.”

That non-committal answer apparently piqued her curiosity and she touched his stomach again, being careful not to use too much force. “Can you feel this?”

The Imperial grinned, clearly sensing her fingertips against his skin. “Yes…”

The Nord stroked the area a little more in response. This time, she applied a bit more pressure, but not to the point that it hurt or felt uncomfortable. Actually, Cadmus thought it was quite nice and relaxing. Her hands stroked his stomach some more, gently massaging the muscles underneath. She didn’t linger in the same area for long, however, as her fingers soon spread and began caressing his sides as well.

She looked up at him with a grin. “How about this?”

He could only chuckle at her playful movements. “Yes, I can feel that, too.”

His reply only seemed to encourage her. Before he knew it, she had leaned into him even more, her hips shifting in his lap and brushing ever so slightly against his groin. He wasn’t sure whether he had felt a twitch down there or if it was just his imagination, but he nonetheless allowed Katria to continue touching him as he took a deep breath and his body started relaxing completely. By now her hands were roaming all over his torso, caressing his chest, sides and stomach. Her fingers traced every little scar, massaged every muscle, and it was clear she was enjoying this as much as he was. He couldn’t help but laugh softly when her fingertips brushed against his nipples, the sensation being quite ticklish but at the same time, feeling surprisingly good…

She gave him another playful look. “Hmm… This?”

By now he had a wide smile on his face, thoroughly amused at her game. “Mm-hmm. That, too.”

Katria only seemed to grow more confident upon hearing his responses and further intensified her ministrations. He felt how she now trailed downward again, moving past his scar and belly button, and her hands eventually rested at a place that wasn’t yet outright scandalous, but definitely getting there. Her fingers were feathery light against his skin and in that moment, he could definitely feel his loins twitch. It seemed she noticed it too and she gave him a playful, almost devious look as her hand descended lower and lower…

His breath hitched when he felt her fingers close around the most sensitive part of his body. She flashed him another sly grin, looking him straight in the eyes. She tightened her grip somewhat as her hand began languidly going up and down. When she spoke again, her voice was noticeably deeper and more whispery.

“And this? How does _this_ feel?”

Feeling no need to keep up the game any longer, he answered honestly. “It feels… mmm… _really nice_ …”

She smiled, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “Do you… want me to continue?”

He kissed her forehead in return. “Yes. Please…”

That was all she needed to keep going. She increased the tempo, rhythmically stroking him as he hardened in her grasp. By now, all pretenses of what she was really trying to achieve had gone and her true intentions became clear. Still, Cadmus found that he didn’t mind in the slightest. The moment he and Katria had let their affection for each other be known and had taken the first step to going beyond friendship, he’d unabashedly been fantasizing about her. How could he not, when he was so enamored with her? She was such a remarkable woman and he was extremely lucky to have her by his side. 

He wondered how it would feel to kiss her, to caress her, to make love to her…

The irony of it all was that Cadmus had been hesitant about actually engaging in intimate acts with her, especially in the beginning, since it had been so long since he was last with a woman. As they lay together in bed in Windhelm and in Kynesgrove, he had wanted to do so much more than just snuggle up against her, but he found that, frustratingly, he couldn’t muster the courage to act on his desires. As such, he could only sigh and stare at the ceiling, thinking about the ridiculousness of the situation— he had no problems taking on a Frost Troll, a Dwarven Centurion Master, or a dragon, but he couldn’t even kiss the woman sleeping right next to him…

But now, things were different. Now that it was clear that Katria felt perfectly comfortable around him and wanted the same things he did, the idea of intimacy was most certainly on the table. And this situation, where the two of them were alone together in these warm and comfortable springs after a long journey all over Skyrim, seemed like the perfect opportunity. He grew even more excited just thinking about it, and he decided to repay the favor and touch her as well. 

With a newfound sense of confidence, his hands reached for her thighs. He started to stroke the skin, tracing every little scar, feeling the strong muscles underneath. His fingers languidly started to trail upward, caressing her upper thighs, before becoming especially brave and cupping her rear. She shivered a little at his touch, but didn’t shy away at all. Instead she gave him another gentle squeeze in return, then gradually quickened the pace of her stroking, and he could feel a small jolt of pleasure shooting up his spine. He forced himself not to buck against her fingers, a small groan escaping from his mouth.

Katria pressed up against him in response. She rose out of the water a little as she did, exposing her ample breasts. The Imperial couldn’t help but look. His attention especially went to the pert pink nipples, taut and hardened in the cool air. He wanted nothing more than to touch them, but before he could even think to ask, his lover had already reached down into the water to grab his hands and brought them up to her chest.

Excited to have her approval, he started to gently knead the soft flesh. She let out a happy sigh, lolling against him as her hands returned to his manhood. He happily accepted the renewed attention, meanwhile busying himself with her breasts. He felt their weight in his hands, soft and warm, flicking his thumbs across the nipples. It felt heavenly and judging from Katria’s reactions, she was enjoying it too.

Of course, he could think of a way for her to enjoy it even more...

One of his hands crept its way down again, inching across the sensitive skin of her ribcage and stomach. As he reached the area below her waist, he could feel her shift a little, impatiently trying to push her hips towards him. He could only chuckle as he continued his slow, calculated ministrations, watching her as she quivered in anticipation. Finally, he reached that sensitive little area between her thighs and the moment he pressed against it, he was rewarded with a low moan.

“Cadmus…”

The way she whispered his name sent a pleasant shiver through his body. Katria started to move against his hand, feverishly and impatiently. Her grip on him increased and he hissed softly, feeling her digits move from the base of his member all the way to the tip as she applied more pressure. It felt familiar and new all at once and then and there, all conscious thought was abandoned. Right now, he couldn’t care any less about the Aetherium Forge. Or Alduin and the end of the world. All he ever wanted was to be here, with this gorgeous, amazing woman, and feel her moan and writhe against him as he took her for all she was worth.

By now, she was resting her forehead against his, breathing heavily and biting her lower lip in sheer pleasure. Cadmus felt her hot breath on his skin, her flushed face incredibly close to his own. She shifted a little in his lap, her hips moving against him more insistently under the water. Katria had a look of anticipation on her face and it was clear she wanted this just as much as he did. As such, he saw no reason to hold it off any longer.

He moved in, wanting nothing more than to press his lips against hers and finally consummate the beautiful thing that had started between them in Solitude.

But then, he heard it.

A loud, thunderous roar echoing through the skies, followed by a gigantic shadow passing overhead.

Katria heard it at the exact same time as he did. Almost immediately, she let go of him and tried to jump up. He on the other hand, reacted instinctively by wrapping his arms around her tightly and pulling her against him. He then pressed himself up against the rocks, trying to hide the both of them under the little waterfall area.

“Don’t move, Katria.”

Thankfully, she caught his whisper and remained perfectly still. She held close to him, hardly breathing but he could hear her heartbeat grow faster. Meanwhile, he listened to the roars and moving wings overhead, trying to think of his next move.

He was confident enough to take it on if necessary. After all, he had plenty of experience slaying dragons and with Katria backing him up, they had a good chance of taking it down together. Still, even he was nowhere near foolish enough to try to step up to one naked and unarmed. Least of all when his lover was naked and unarmed as well.

All thoughts of lust were now quickly forgotten, as he was quietly waiting for the giant creature to leave, or at least lose interest in the particular spot they were currently hiding at. Every second seemed to stretch out endlessly, as the two of them simply sat there, quiet like the dead, hoping for the right moment to slip out of the water and grab their weapons and armor.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the creature bellowed again. Only this time, the dragon’s roars were accompanied by another loud sound— the distinct trumpeting of a mammoth. The sound had him sit up, especially when it was followed up with the odd, guttural screaming that he recognized as the Giant language.

He turned to Katria, gently nudging her to get off his lap. She complied and he moved out from underneath the small waterfall, making sure to keep his body low in the water as he turned towards the direction of the sounds. As he hid behind a large rock to have a closer look at what was going on, his eyes widened at what he saw.

The dragon, either hungry or overconfident, had decided to accost one of three mammoths, likely on their way to a Giant camp that he knew was somewhere in the Aalto. The mammoths’ Giant shepherd, however, clearly objected to this course of action and had rushed in, ready to fight. The fierce creature was now attacked on all sides, impaled with tusks and battered with a huge club while occasionally getting its head stomped as well.

It had clearly picked the wrong prey… and that was an opportunity for them.

He reached for Katria’s arm. “They’re distracted! Let’s get into our armor and grab our stuff!”

The Nord woman didn’t need to be told twice. She was already way ahead of him as they swam back to the shore, pushing herself up out of the water. Cadmus quickly deactivated the ward over their belongings and Katria raked a towel over her body to dry herself off, then started to dress with a speed he never thought possible. He himself was right behind her, practically yanking his Ebony armor onto his body as quickly as he could.

Swinging his knapsack onto his back and taking out his sword, he turned to the fray on the other side of the hot springs. Katria had moved right beside him, grabbing her bow and getting ready for action. The both of them watched the skirmish quietly, neither of them moving an inch, preparing to potentially confront whichever party would walk away from the fight and decide they were a threat.

As they sat and watched the confrontation, however, it quickly became clear that the Giant was winning. Between the tusks of the mammoths and the heavy swings of his club, the dragon had bitten off more than it could chew. And when the Giant managed to land a solid swing on its head, splattering brain, scales and bone fragments everywhere, the fight was pretty much over.

The Giant responded to his victory by swinging his club back onto his shoulder and checking on his mammoths. He seemed to notice the two of them as well, but only stomped his feet at them threateningly, as if to indicate that he simply didn’t want them to come any closer. Both of them were wise enough to heed his warning and after a while, the Giant seemed satisfied. He lumbered off again, his herd in tow, and as he disappeared into the rocky plains of the Aalto, Cadmus let out a sigh of relief.

Katria exhaled deeply, lowering her bow again. He then watched how she got up, picking up the rest of their stuff. Rather than walking away, however, she moved towards the now dead dragon. He gave her a confused look and she shrugged.

“It’s dead anyway. We might as well check the body for anything useful.”

She had a point there and seeing how they had plenty of time to reach Ivarstead, he followed her towards the corpse. The moment they approached, however, the body started becoming engulfed in flames and Cadmus could already see the familiar energy of a dragon’s soul leave the bones. Soon, it was seeping into his body and he felt that familiar burning sensation as his mind began to swell with the strength and knowledge of this fallen foe.

Katria watched the whole thing with a mix of surprise and fascination. “Fascinating… I didn’t think that would still happen if you didn’t kill the dragon yourself…”

As the last of the dragon’s soul was absorbed into his body, Cadmus could only sigh. “I didn’t either. Still, at least we can be sure it’ll never come back...”

Katria shrugged with a little smile, before starting to rummage through the pile of bones. She handed him some of the bones, scales and gold she found in the creature’s belly, as well as a couple of gems. He quietly accepted the items, figuring he’d be able to sell those when they came across another merchant. Now, however, they had other matters to think about.

Part of him was wondering if the two of them should return to the hot spring, and possibly pick up where they’d left off. After all, he had very much enjoyed their little tryst right up to the moment when the dragon arrived. Now that the coast was clear again, there was absolutely nothing preventing them from undressing again and slipping back into the warm, inviting water together…

That was a rather alluring thought to him, but as he looked at Katria and the remaining dragon bones, he ultimately decided against it. The both of them were still on high alert from their close call and it would be hard to recreate the calm and intimacy they had before the wildlife of Skyrim had decided to interrupt them. That moment had passed and if they were going to try taking their relationship to the next level, perhaps it was best done in the safety of a building, on a comfortable bed and behind a locked door.

He turned towards her. “I had fun here, but how about we continue on to Ivarstead?”

Almost immediately, she returned a smile, as if she knew what he was thinking. “Yes, we should make it in an hour or so. We should get a room at the inn and continue our search in the morning.”

With that, she joined him at his side as they started to walk again, leaving the volcanic landscape of the Aalto behind them. As they did, however, he found himself reaching for her hand, his fingers interlocking with hers. She squeezed his hand in response with that sense of warm familiarity and they set off, hoping to reach civilization or, when it came to Ivarstead, whatever passed for it.

It would be the last stop before the Forge…

Cadmus wasn’t going to lie. Even he was getting excited at the prospect of finding it. When he had first joined Katria in her search several weeks ago, he had no idea if they were chasing history or fool’s gold. But now, they had all four Aetherium Shards, and the coordinates to the place the Dwemer once used to smelt it. It had all been an amazing adventure, where they had gone where no one else had before, and on the way, he had gained someone more precious than he could have ever imagined.

He hoped they’d find the Aetherium Forge. That Katria would be given the closure she so deserved. Still, he knew that even if they didn’t, there would be no regret on his part, at least. This was all worth it, if only because she was there. And it was because of this very adventure they embarked on that they had found a place in each other’s hearts.


	11. Into The Aetherium Forge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We took some creative liberties in how the Aetherium Forge operates. It's not really made all that clear in the game itself, but if anyone would have something close to computer-like technology, it would've been the Dwemer.

“Ruins with an astrolabe and gear… Astrolabe and gear…”

Katria looked around, trying to find anything in her surroundings that matched that particular description. She and Cadmus had set out from Ivarstead at sunrise, with all four Aetherium Shards in their possession and eager to finally search for the Aetherium Forge itself. Now, they were scouring the forests in the southwestern wilderness of the Rift, looking for any Dwemer ruins that might match the description and diagrams she had in her journal.

The first hour of searching yielded no results, as the forests were so dense that it was hard to find any man-made structures, let alone the remains of Dwarven architecture. The woods were also quite dangerous, and the pair hadn’t gone too far from Ivarstead when they ran into a pair of overly aggressive bears during their search. At first, Cadmus had tried to simply scare the bears away by standing his ground and making noise, but when that approach failed, he drew his Ebony sword and Katria followed suit by unslinging Zephyr from her back.

This little misadventure, however, led to a stroke of luck as the two of them were assisted by two Imperial Legionnaires who were stationed in the area. With their combined efforts, all four of them managed to kill the larger, more aggressive bear, whereas the other one wisely decided to run away after sustaining a few injuries. Once the threat had been taken care of, the two soldiers, an Orc and an Imperial, asked the two of them what business they had in the area. Cadmus only had to take his helmet off for the soldiers to instantly recognize him.

The Orc seemed surprised to see him. “Legate Cadmus! I thought you were on leave from the Legion for a while, sir?”

Cadmus smiled. “I’m here on personal business. My… associate… and I are searching the area for some Dwemer ruins. It’s been a while since I was last stationed in The Rift, but you seem to know the place quite well. Would you happen to know if there are any ruins nearby that might fit what we’re looking for?”

The younger Imperial thought for a moment. “Hmm… There _are_ some ruins directly east from here. We’ve passed by it several times on patrol. Not sure if they’re Dwarven, but they do look pretty old.”

The Orc chimed in, pointing in the direction of the ruins. “It’s just straight ahead from here. There doesn’t seem to be much there, but we’ve been hearing reports from civilians that a group of bandits has turned the place into their headquarters. So you best be careful when you head that way, sir.”

Cadmus nodded. “I see. That already helps a lot. Thank you, Auxiliary. Oh, and give my regards to Legate Fasendil.”

Both Legionnaires gave him an affirmative nod. “Will do, sir. Good luck.”

The two young Legionnaires bade them safe travels, and with those directions, they continued on their way. Again, the Nord woman found herself very grateful for her lover’s many connections throughout Skyrim. Still, based on what he had just said, she couldn’t help but tease him a little.

Katria gave him a playful smirk. “Your ‘ _associate_ ’, huh?”

Cadmus merely shrugged and answered matter-of-factly. “They didn’t need to know the full details.”

She nodded, though the smirk didn’t fade. “True. Especially not what we were doing in the Aalto yesterday…”

She could hear Cadmus chuckle warmly behind his helmet. Even though things hadn’t quite turned out the way they planned yesterday, it seemed he at least enjoyed the encounter— for however long it lasted— as much as she did. And judging by his equally disappointed reaction at the lack of double beds at the Vilemyr Inn, he had likely also hoped they would’ve been able to continue where they had left off last night. He took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers as they walked through the woods. When he spoke again, there was almost a boyish innocence in his voice.

“Well… we can always try again another time… After we’ve found the Forge, that is.”

Katria smiled, squeezing his hand affectionately. “Mmm, that sounds nice. I’d like that.”

There was no doubt in her mind that she’d take him up on that offer. Even now, she was still fantasizing about their interrupted tryst in the hot springs. It had been the first time she’d seen him naked and she had very much liked what she saw, especially when it quickly became clear that he was just as excited to see her in the nude as well. Moreover, she was ecstatic that her lover seemed to have finally gotten over his hesitation towards intimacy. She lamented the fact that they didn’t get to go any further than they did, and part of her was deeply disappointed that they weren’t even able to kiss… Still, she was looking forward to the next time she and Cadmus could be intimate with each other again, and quite frankly, she couldn’t wait to have him do so much more to her than merely rubbing the area between her legs…

But for the time being, she had to put all thoughts of pleasure aside. For now, the two of them needed to focus on the task at hand— to find the ruins that would hopefully lead them to the Aetherium Forge…

The pair continued eastwards, going deeper into the forests. Katria had to admit, The Rift was quite beautiful this time of year, with several trees still sporting their autumn foliage even as the month of Sun’s Dusk was coming to a close. She couldn’t help but admire her surroundings as she and Cadmus followed the trail to the ruins the Imperial soldiers mentioned. Her mind was brought back to the task at hand when suddenly, she spotted something. Amidst the sea of reds, oranges and yellows of the forest, she saw the unmistakable grey of stone structures. Moreover, the structures didn’t exactly look like Nordic architecture either…

“Cadmus, I think we found it!”

Almost immediately, her lover perked up, peering in the distance. “Well, it sure looks like a Dwemer ruin from here. We should be careful though. Auxiliary Moghlak said there might be some bandits hiding out here.”

Hardly had he said that, however, when a swishing sound suddenly filled the air.

Katria thought quickly. Even if Cadmus didn’t need it, she gave him a brisk shove to the side, while she herself dodged in the opposite direction. Within less than a second, an elven arrow flew right past them and she was sure it would have hit either of them were it not for her fast reaction.

She and the Imperial exchanged looks. It was quite obvious where that arrow had come from. It looked like they had indeed found the place, and that the Auxiliary was right in that some new residents were squatting there. Katria sighed as she grabbed her bow and her lover did the same. After that projectile, there was no need to even try being nice. It seemed like negotiations were over before they even started…

The skirmish with the gang of bandits was quick, but brutal. Katria had opted to snipe their foes from a distance, while Cadmus favored a more direct approach as he engaged the bandits who were foolish enough to try and attack him. Even now, the Nord woman still wasn’t quite used to how utterly brutal the Imperial could be with his sword, especially the fact that his heavy swings were powerful enough to decapitate his enemies. Still, she was glad that the fight didn’t last any longer than it should’ve, and that the bandits at least met a swift end by his hand.

A good fifteen minutes later, she was busying herself by rummaging through a chest in the bandit camp. She found the usual riches that bandits tended to have, like coins, armor or gems, but she had quietly hoped for something more. Some journals, scrolls or books… anything really that might confirm that this was indeed the location they were looking for.

She continued her search for a while, frustrated when it didn’t turn up anything, and she simply swiped more Elven arrows from the nearby table out of spite. She was just about to search the rest of the camp when Cadmus suddenly called out to her.

“Katria! I think I found our astrolabe!”

Almost immediately, her irritation vanished. The thought of searching for loot was quickly abandoned as she ran towards him. As she approached, she could indeed see a structure made of Dwarven Glass and metal standing atop a stone pedestal— one that indeed matched the descriptions and diagrams she had studied and copied into her journal.

She moved in closer to examine the astrolabe, noticing a distinct gear shape in the center of it. At first glance, it looked like simple decoration, one of the many intricate metal sculptures one would find in Dwemer architecture and instruments. As she looked closer, however, she could see that the gear in the middle of the astrolabe was actually some sort of mechanism. The center of this mechanism had four slots, the shape of which looked very similar to the Aetherium Shards she was carrying with her…

With shaky hands, she took them out of her knapsack. “Look at the device here— the gear in the center is just about the right size. I’m going to try putting the Shards in and see what happens.”

Cadmus nodded as she took a deep breath. She gripped the Shards tightly, almost afraid to drop them, and placed them in the slot one by one. She put the first one in the large outer slot on the right; the second Shard in the top inner slot; the third in the outer slot in the left; and the final Shard in the bottom inner slot. All four Aetherium Shards fit like a glove, forming a circular key, and Katria was rewarded with the gear mechanism changing shape, as well as some loud shifting noises underneath her feet. She watched with bated breath, but after a few moments, nothing happened.

Surprised, but persistent, she reached out and tried to move the key, but it refused to budge. This only made her jerk at it harder, desperate for something to happen. When she realized it was solidly locked in place, however, another idea came to her and she gently took it back out. The moment she did, the stones under her feet started to tremble. Even underneath the heavy, thick slabs, she could hear the shifting of gears, ancient structures jolting to life after Divines knew how long. It was almost as if something was fighting to break free from the earth, and she wasn’t going to just idly stand there while it happened.

“What the…?! Get back! Hurry!”

She practically leaped away from the platform and Cadmus instantly followed suit. They backed several feet away as the ground where they had previously stood started to come alive. Suddenly, a pillar practically burst from the ground, rotating its way upwards to the sky, shaking off years of dust and debris that had gathered within a mechanism that had not been used in centuries… possibly even millenia. The two of them had to take cover behind the remains of a wall so as not to get pummeled by the loose dirt, stones, grass, moss and roots that were now flying all over the place as the giant pillar continued its ascent.

“Whoa…”

Katria realized she sounded almost comically dumbstruck as she said that, but she hardly cared. Neither did Cadmus. He too was staring at the spectacle in absolute awe, which was telling for a man who fought dragons for a prophesied living.

Finally, the pillar slammed into place with one last thunderous noise. The pair waited for a few moments before approaching it, just in case it started moving again. Once they were sure that the large structure was firmly in place, they carefully moved in closer. Now, the Nord woman could see it wasn’t quite what she initially assumed it was. She realized that the structure was actually hollow on the inside, and she saw the familiar sight of a lever in the center of a circular stone slab. This meant only one thing— this was a Dwemer elevator and they were likely standing above a huge underground complex, unseen by anyone for possibly thousands of years.

The Imperial approached it cautiously. “Well, whatever that elevator leads to, we clearly found _something_ of note…”

He was trying to be humorous, but Katria hardly noticed as excitement suddenly took over her. “It’s true… It’s all true! Come on, let’s check it out!”

Her heart racing, she stepped into the elevator. Cadmus was right behind her. The both of them exchanged a simple, meaningful look and then, he pulled the lever, sending them down into the depths of the unknown.

* * *

The descent seemed to take forever and the two of them just stood in absolute darkness. Nothing was said between them, as they quietly listened to the shifting and grinding of the elevator going down. A few times, it slowed and she could taste the fear of being stuck in a metal cage several miles underground. Thankfully, however, the Dwemer machinery lived up to its reputation and after a few more minutes of descending, the elevator finally came to a halt with a heavy bang. The gate swung open into the dark, indicating that the ride was over and they had finally reached the bottom.

Instinctively, she cast Candlelight. “That took longer than usual. How deep are we?”

Cadmus shrugged, casting his own spell. “You’re the expert, but we’re probably several dozen miles underground, I think. Deeper than most Dwemer cities, at least…”

He stepped out of the elevator and opened an additional gate by using the lever. The moment they stepped though, a nearby pillar beside them lit up with magical fire, plunging them into the light. For a second they suspected they were not alone, but as nothing came out at them, they quietly continued down the path, with each pillar coming alive with light as they passed.

Soon, they reached a carved Dwarven head and the area around it lit up as well. Katria reached out to it reverently. She studied the things on the platform around it as well, none of it affected by rust or decay.

She looked around, awestruck. “Amazing… To think, no one’s been here in… _four thousand years_ …”

Cadmus joined her, examining the pieces carefully. “So… Now that we’re here, how can we prove to the rest of the world that this place actually exists? I mean, Forge or not, it is undiscovered by modern scholars...”

Katria simply smiled, having already thought about that. “Well, I’m going to sketch everything I see, at the very least. Though it would be better if we can find something— anything— that we can bring back that proves that this is the _real_ Aetherium Forge.”

He chuckled. “I’m no Dwemer scholar, but I’d be very surprised if this _isn’t_ the real Aetherium Forge…”

She playfully elbowed her lover. “You know what I mean…”

Her eyes then turned to a worn-out stone slab on the platform that had gotten loose over time. There appeared to be some sort of text written on the slab, and though some of the writing had weathered away, she could still make out several sentences. She recognized the writing as Dwemeris and excitedly, she started reading.

It mostly seemed to be a list of names. She also recognized “Zel”, the Dwarven word for “city” and Arkngthamz, Raldbthar, Mzulft and a city called Bthar-Zel were mentioned as well. The slab appeared to be a commemorative plaque of some sort, but two words especially stuck out to her. A half-faded word with a symbol that indicated “Aeth” and a familiar word that caused her to grow even more excited.

The Imperial seemed to notice she was onto something. “Does it say anything interesting?”

She nodded, glad for his interest. “Yes. A list of cities and names. A half-vanished word containing ‘Aeth’, likely ‘Aetherium’. There’s another word here too. I’m not quite sure as it’s a little worn. It seems to translate to ‘ _metal shaper_ ’, which is...”

Cadmus tilted his head to the side with a smile. “I’m not a linguist either, but that sounds like something that might be used to say ‘forge’ in a foreign language.”

She could only nod at that observation, knowing he was right. She continued reading, only to suddenly gasp. As she honed in on the list with names, she saw the one thing she never dared hope for.

“By the Nine…”

Immediately, her companion moved closer and she pointed. “One of the names… It… It says Nevichund! _Nevichund Stungnzalf_! That… that was the name in the log I found in Mzund! The Dwemer who claimed to have worked on the Aetherium Forge!”

Those words caused the Imperial to practically light up. “Well, we are definitely onto something then. If not the Forge itself, then something strongly related to it!”

Katria nodded quietly. Whatever was down here, they very likely discovered something big, Aetherium Forge or not. Still, this stone slab was already very good evidence of what they had found down here, and instinctively, she picked it up, wrapped it in a piece of cloth and carefully put it inside her knapsack along with the Aetherium Crest and the artifacts they had retrieved from the storeroom in Mzulft.

Her heart started beating even faster, and she turned towards the rest of the ruin. Cadmus had patiently waited for her, but as she started to walk towards the place, he followed. Both of them made their way up the old stone steps, quietly taking in the remnants of this old civilization. On the way, they found another astrolabe, similar to the one above ground, as well as an old withered tree in a small square. Here and there, she found ancient texts carved into the walls as well, which she fervently examined. She took out her journal and began rapidly sketching and taking down notes of everything she saw, and she appreciated her lover’s willingness to stop and let her untangle what was there.

Eventually, they came upon another heavy metal gate. It refused to open under the push of her hand and she couldn’t see a lock to pick either. Her attention, however, was quickly drawn by an all too familiar sound though and she smirked almost bitterly as she found herself looking up and spying a pair of Kinetic Resonators.

She turned to the Imperial. “Door is shut tight. I bet those Resonators would open it, though.”

Something told her Cadmus had the same look behind his helmet. “Ah yes, an all-time Dwemer favorite. Though I only see two. So I suppose we can’t mess up the sequence too badly here.”

Katria chuckled a little at that. Even so, she braced herself as she took out some cheap iron arrows and fired them up at one of the Kinetic Resonators. Thankfully, it made the right noise and clicked into place. The other one followed suit the moment she hit it and within seconds, the gate before them opened, revealing a stone corridor. 

They went in cautiously, almost expecting a Falmer horde to burst out at any moment. Yet the halls remained quiet the further they went. As they did, Katria couldn’t help but notice a change in the environment. It seemed as if the temperature rose with each step forward, and Katria soon started to feel warm in her steel armor. So did Cadmus, as he stopped to take off his helmet for a moment. He seemed to have a hard time breathing and as he wiped the sweat off his brow, studying the stones as he did, he turned to her.

“So… What are your thoughts on this place?”

She placed her hand on her chin. “It feels… _old_ , doesn’t it? Even by Dwarven standards. The air here… it feels different, too. It’s getting really warm… Almost like…”

He smiled. “Like the place is one giant forge?”

She didn’t want to say it. She was almost afraid she would jinx it if she did. But she knew this place wasn’t normal. She had never been inside any Dwemer ruins with this type of temperature. Whatever lay at the end of it had to be impressive and at this point, turning back was the last thing on her mind. Sensing her urgency, her lover put his helmet back on. The two of them kept walking until they eventually came upon another set of doors. Taking a deep breath, they pushed them open, revealing what lay behind.

The first thing Katria noticed was the thick steam. A powerful, overwhelming wave of heat enveloped her the moment she stepped inside, instantly causing her to gush sweat from every pore. Every breath made her lungs burn and she feared she might be forced to turn back lest she’d choke to death. Cadmus was way ahead of her. The Imperial immediately began casting some ice spells to protect them from the heat. Within moments, they found themselves surrounded by a barrier of ice, significantly lowering the temperature and allowing them to safely have a look around.

The steam made it hard to see, but even so, she could make out a large room. Large vents were pouring out an endless amount of vapor, no doubt caused by the large stream of magma flowing in the back of the room. There had to be volcanic activity somewhere nearby for that to be there or they were closer to the core of Mundus than they thought. She pondered that possibility, only to quickly abandon it as her eyes were drawn to a large mechanism in the middle of the room.

It was unlike any Dwarven machine she’d seen before. The mechanism looked to be a gigantic boiler or furnace, easily over thirty— possibly even forty feet tall and taking up most of the space in the chamber. At the very center was a large receptacle, surrounded by three relatively smaller tanks of varying heights on each side. All seven containers were filled with a glowing yellow liquid, which appeared to be a mixture of several molten metals. In front of the central container was some sort of console with several glowing blue buttons and a large, circular slab of Dwarven Glass. Behind the tanks were four huge pipes, with the gears still spinning and two large pistons still running in spite of the fact that the mechanism hadn’t been used in four millenia. At the very top of the machine, positioned directly above the receptacle in the middle, was an imposing metal statue of a Dwarven head, its mouth stylistically carved open with an impressive “waterfall” of molten metal flowing from it down into the tank below.

Katria’s mouth fell open at the very sight. Was it… Could it truly be?

As if hypnotized, she moved forward. “Is that… the Forge?”

Her excitement, however, caused her to move out of Cadmus’s protective circle and almost immediately, the steam overwhelmed her and she coughed violently, which only made her feel worse. She pushed forward, wondering if there was any way to deal with the blistering heat. As she tried her best not to get dizzy, she noticed two sets of stairs on either side of the room. Both of them led to small platforms and as she braved a few more steps, she saw what looked like large red valves. Figuring those might be useful, she forced herself to walk towards one, ignoring the fact that she was losing half her weight in sweat and she was having another coughing fit.

She turned to her lover, trying to speak in between coughs. “Damn, it’s hard to breathe in here. Let’s clear out the steam so we can take a look.”

She fought her way up one of the platforms and practically flung herself at the valve. She pulled at it with all her might, ignoring her dizziness and discomfort in an effort to shut it down. It took all of her strength, but after a minute or so, she managed to close it and almost immediately, the steam in the room decreased. Cadmus was repeating the same action on the other side of the room. He seemed to have a little less difficulty than her in turning the valve, though Divines knew he was probably dying in his Ebony armor. Still, he managed to close his side as well, but not without sinking to the floor and sitting down, wheezing for breath.

Concerned, she ran over, ignoring her own wobbly legs in the process. She sank down beside him, pulling off his helmet and snatching his flask off his side to unscrew the cap and give it to him. The Nord woman noticed just how light it felt, realizing that most of the water inside had no doubt been vaporized by the heat of the place alone. Cadmus drank pretty much all of it in one go, but at least his shaking seemed to stop and his breathing stabilized.

She reached for her own water to drink as well, when suddenly, a massive rumble tore through the entire space. This immediately brought back unpleasant memories of Arkngthamz and she jolted up, one hand on Cadmus’ shoulder in case she needed to yank him up to run.

“Damn! What the…”

For that fraction of a second, she braced herself for another earthquake. Yet as quickly as the trembling had begun, it stilled again. Instead, a distinct mechanical sound replaced it. One she was all too familiar with…

She sneered as she saw several metal legs clamber out of the nearby magma and this time, she did help her lover to his feet. “Spiders? Alright, we can handle this. Come on!”

Without even having to think, she grabbed Zephyr and proceeded to unleash a torrent of arrows onto the incoming Dwarven Spiders. She was soon flanked by Cadmus who, after frantically putting his helmet back on, assisted her with his own bow. Some of the Spiders went down immediately, but that didn’t deter the rest of the machines. Within the blink of an eye, a few of them got within range and before they knew it, bolts of lightning tore through the air.

Their strikes missed them both by only a hair, and Katria abandoned her long-range strategy for her daggers. She hurled herself at the one nearest to her, wedging her blades in-between the metal plating. Once it was firmly lodged in there, she ripped out the inner mechanism, destroying the machine. She then turned on the next one coming her way, bathing it in a simple flame spell she had learned in Solitude and frying it thoroughly.

Cadmus was going in with a different, but equally creative approach. Luring the Spiders closer to him, the Imperial then started casting lightning runes in their path. The moment the machines stepped over them and got stunned, he would rush in with his sword to finish them. Soon, destroyed Spider Workers were piling up all around them, but just as she thought the throng of them was at an end, she was suddenly pulled to the side by her lover as a metal bolt pierced the nearby wall.

“Dwarven Spheres!”

She cursed again as he was proven right and several of the damned Dwemer automatons made it onto the platform they were on. On instinct, she sent another stream of fire in their direction, heating up the area around them even further to the point that breathing became a struggle. It was then that she realized that the same thing that had triggered the automatons had likely also caused the steam valves to open again, making any attempt to fight back even harder.

“Cadmus, we have to turn off the steam again!”

Even in his likely less than enviable state, he complied without question. “On it!”

Within moments, he was sprinting, bashing his way through the stunned Dwarven Spheres to get to the valve. Katria provided him with cover, blasting fire at the automatons until she no longer had enough energy to use Magicka. When that ran out, she reached over to one of the downed Spiders and put her dagger back in to manipulate the broken system. As she expected, a bolt of lightning shot out and she aimed the broken mechanism at their new foes, stunning them and dealing damage.

Her lover had closed one of the valves in the meantime and fought against exhaustion to make his way over to the other one. Some of the Spheres pursued him as he did, firing bolts at his back. Knowing that these weapons could easily pierce through even Ebony, he turned swiftly to conjure a Storm Atronach.

The daedric creature took the bolt without flinching, then proceeded to stomp his pursuers into the ground. Once done, it set upon the ones that were still attacking Katria, smashing them into bits in a haze of hammer-like punches and lightning. This gave her some room to breathe again, along with the diminished steam as Cadmus managed to close the other valve. She sank to her knees for a moment and wiped the sweat from her brow, but just as she started feeling even a modicum of relief, the floor began to shake and another familiar mechanical sound caught her attention.

She turned around and her eyes widened. “Oh no…”

Not even daring to get up, she looked in the direction of the noise and despite the endless stream of magma all around her, she started to feel cold. Out of the liquid rock rose something that looked very similar to a Dwarven Centurion Master, but it was far bigger than any she had ever encountered. A huge, lumbering mountain of metal, with weapons for hands and seemingly powered by either hot, molten metal or possibly even magma, as its insides seemed to glow a liquid gold. A last line of defense against intruders, a master of this Forge in the absence of the Dwemer. It looked terrifying, but she knew the only way to attain their goal was to go through it.

The Storm Atronach responded to the threat before either of them could. It instantly hovered over to the giant automaton, viciously pelting it with lightning. It seemed to work, as the Forgemaster stood stunned in place for a few moments. But just as Katria hoped they might be able to sit out this fight, the unthinkable happened.

As the Atronach closed in further, no doubt to hit the Forgemaster with more lightning spells or to grapple with it physically, the metal monstrosity bent forward and opened its mouth. A raging jet of fire poured from the opening, bathing the Storm Atronach in flames from head to toe. The being was fully incinerated, the assault so fierce that she could hear the rock crack from where she stood. Within seconds, it was wiped from existence and the giant Centurion looked around for another challenge, setting its sights on Cadmus.

Knowing that another one of those bursts of flame would cook him alive in his armor, Katria reacted. Immediately, she grabbed Zephyr and started pelting the automaton with arrows, trying to hit any weak spots she could see from her vantage point. This had the intended effect of distracting the machine and she only barely managed to jump out of the way when a burst of fire became her reward as the Forgemaster started to pace towards her.

“FO… KRAH… DIIN!!!”

Even from where she was, she could feel the blast of cold as Cadmus removed his helmet and started spewing ice at it like some kind of human Frost Dragon. She could hear the machine creaking and several cracks began to appear on the metal plates. Its upper part rotated to face the Imperial again, but he simply responded by summoning more help. The noise of crunching ice met with that of fire and Katria found her eyebrows rising as a Frost Atronach was conjured into this realm. The giant being fearlessly charged at the Forgemaster and started to pummel it with large icy fists. This gave Cadmus an opening to charge in himself and he furiously started to hack away at his enemy, trying to get to the inner mechanisms inside.

The Nord woman immediately responded by firing more arrows, providing support from a distance. She could tell they were doing damage to the automaton, but it was far tougher than any Dwarven Centurion Master she had encountered in the past. At this point, Cadmus had already unleashed several Shouts of Frost Breath on it, but while the Thu’um had easily downed the one in Raldbthar, this automaton remained standing.

She could see the Frost Atronach melt down in record time as it faced wave after wave of fire. It was still fighting valiantly, but it likely wasn’t going to last much longer and she doubted either she or Cadmus had enough Magicka left to quickly summon a replacement. They had beaten it down sufficiently, but it showed no signs of letting up yet and she knew that one wrong move would lead to either of them being roasted alive.

Suddenly, she heard Cadmus shout at her from the top of his lungs. “Katria! We need to get its soul gem!”

For a moment, she swore she misheard him over all the machinery and magma. “What?!”

Cadmus remained unperturbed. “Its back is open! You go in and pull it out! I’ll hold it in place!”

Again, she wondered if he had lost it. “How in Oblivion are you going to do that?!”

He threw up his hands in frustration. “Just trust me and do it! Get ready and grab it when I shout!”

Again, she wanted to yell at him, wondering what in the Divines was going on in that Imperial brain of his, but she figured by now that he likely had a plan. She put away her bow and got ready, ignoring the pain and sweat and thirst, watching nervously as Cadmus started sprinting back into the fray. As the Frost Atronach started to rapidly melt away, the Forgemaster turned its upper body one hundred and eighty degrees, focusing its attention on the remaining challenger.

Katria bit back a scream as she saw the automaton’s mouth open, little sparks already escaping from the burning molten metal inside the machine. She could hear the centurion wind up for another blast of fire, when at that moment, Cadmus’s own mouth opened all the way in a scream. Or rather, a Shout.

“IIZ… SLEN… NUS!!!”

A torrent of ice unleashed from his lips, but it was not Frost Breath. Instead, large chunks of ice started forming all around the Forgemaster, fully encasing it. It stopped the Centurion Master dead in its tracks, the frozen water cutting off the flamethrower and holding it firmly in place.

“Katria, now!”

She didn’t even need to be told. Faster than she ever thought possible, she started to run towards the Forgemaster. Snatching a dagger off her belt, she practically leaped up the stuck automaton’s back, clambering up like a cat trying to escape a dog. She could already see the soul gem and she slammed the blade between the metal plating, prying it open. The machine struggled to free itself from its ice bindings, melting them rapidly to break free and fight again, trying to shake her off. 

Still, she held firm and, gathering all her strength, she reached out and grabbed the Soul Gem, tearing it out of the automaton while jumping off its back.

Almost immediately, the Forgemaster went limp. The machinery inside shut off, the gears stopped spinning within seconds, and the molten metal inside was turning from a bright gold to a dull black. As the heat wore away the rest of the ice, it keeled over, and their formidable foe was left as nothing but a hunk of lifeless scrap metal on the ground. The sight of it gave her another rush of adrenaline and relief all at once.

She raised her arms in victory. “Got him!”

Knowing that the threat was finally gone, she went to sit down for a moment. She had to, as the dizziness and fatigue returned all at once. She felt like she had fought off an entire army and frankly, that wasn’t too far from the truth. As she sank to the floor, she noticed how the Centurion Dynamo Core rolled away from the Forgemaster’s lifeless shell, and without even thinking about it, she picked it up and put it away in her belt satchel.

She then looked over at Cadmus. He too was sitting down, practically half-collapsed on the floor. He was breathing heavily, a wheeze escaping his mouth every now and then as torrents of sweat continued to pour from his head. Even so, he was grinning wildly, just as proud as she was that they had managed to fight their way through. The both of them were utterly exhausted, but they had survived without any major injuries. They had conquered the Forge.

The Forge…

That thought forced Katria back on her feet. Forgetting all about how filthy and tired she felt, she walked towards the large machine as if she were entering a shrine. For a moment, she was almost certain it was part of a trap or an illusion and it would disappear again before her eyes. Yet it remained, this untouched relic of ancient times. The thing she came so close to death for, but she could now lay eyes on, the first person in centuries to do so.

She simply stood for a moment, gazing upon it like it was the most beautiful thing in the world. “I… I almost can’t believe it! We did it… We actually did it!”

She moved closer, reaching out to touch it. The metal felt warm under her hands, though surprisingly it wasn’t scorching at all. Clearly, the machine was made to channel volatile materials of extremely high temperatures, like molten metal, magma, and of course, Aetherium. Even now, Dwemer ingenuity never ceased to amaze her. Still, at that very moment, there was still a lingering question left.

She turned to Cadmus, who had gotten up from the floor and approached her. “There’s only one thing left to do… We have to prove this actually works… And there’s only one way we can do that— _by forging something_.”

The Imperial gave her a look. “How do we do that? We need Aetherium, right? And I don’t think there is any in here.”

She flashed him a broad smile. “Yes. Yes, there is. The Shards we collected are made of pure Aetherium, remember? It’s not much, but it’ll do.” 

She pointed towards several ingots she had spotted near the platforms earlier. “With them, and the materials in this room, we should have everything we need.”

Her lover gave her a look of skepticism, but after a few seconds, he seemingly decided to trust her judgment. “Do you think there’s more Aetherium somewhere? Anywhere?”

That question threw her for a loop and she shook her head. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. After all these years, it’s a miracle even this much survived. So we have to make it count. This may be the only chance we ever get to use the Forge.”

A little edge of desperation had snuck back into her voice. Much to his credit, Cadmus seemed to notice. He gave her a little reassuring smile.

“I’ll go grab the materials. You try and figure out how it works in the meantime.”

With that, he was off. She saw him move to the side to pick up the nearby ingots, as well as open a chest to grab some more. He returned to her with several kinds of ingots, as well as some gemstones, and dutifully loaded them into the Forge’s receptacle. She stepped up and, after taking a deep breath, added the Aetherium Crest as well. The machine accepted the materials without issue, but as it took in the Aetherium, the machine started to whir and the slab of Dwarven Glass began to… light up.

She furrowed her brow as strange images suddenly started to appear on the glass, complete with text in the Dwemer language. Curious, she reached out, only for the images to change when she touched them. She jumped, worried she had triggered another trap, but nothing happened. Cadmus seemed to notice her apprehension and leaned in to look. Equally fascinated by what she found, he too touched the strange glass and again, pictures and text shifted. He pressed some other parts, causing the previous set of images to come back. Suddenly, his face lit up.

“I think they’re buttons of some sort. Buttons to operate the Forge, I guess, but… they’re triggered by tapping the glass in a certain way.”

That statement had Katria move right back in. Almost as if to demonstrate, the Imperial repeated his actions. She could see him tap the glass, causing certain images to appear or disappear. Some responded to his finger as he dragged it across the surface. Texts seemed to turn longer or shorter. This was clearly not a trap of some sort and as she moved in, reading whatever Dwemeris she could, she realized he might be onto something.

She moved her face closer to the slab. “They’re sentences. They’re all related to smithing. And upkeep of the machine. And a lot of times, it says the words ‘begin’ and ‘end’, with the names of processes. It’s almost like… like a book with instructions or something. So this glass— or rather, the main mechanism that runs it— probably drives the Forge in some way. Though only the Dwemer knew how.”

Cadmus rubbed his chin. “So basically, this mechanism works to _automate the forging process_? That would explain why this is a completely closed machine, with no tools in sight.”

Katria stared at him. As wild and far-fetched as the theory sounded at face value, he might actually be onto something. Still, there was only one way to find out.

Again, she started to read what the glass showed her. It seemed to be measurements of sorts and she could decipher the words for metal and gold, as well as the words “vanity stones”, which she assumed to mean gemstones. Clearly, the Forge was aware of the materials it had at its disposal and the next thing she knew, more images were appearing. Strange texts started to overrun the glass, until only a few remained. She could make out some of the words. “Shield”, “staff” and “crown”. 

She turned to her lover. “It spells out the words ‘shield’, ‘staff’ and ‘crown’. Items the Forge can make with these particular materials, perhaps?”

She saw him study the image. “Sounds logical. So, what should we go with?”

The Nord woman thought about that for a moment. “Whatever we make, we need to carry it all the way to civilization. I’d say a crown is our best option. It’s the smallest and lightest.”

The Imperial gave her a nod. “True. What would that crown do though?”

She placed her hand under her chin. “Well… Aetherium supposedly creates a physical connection between the user and Aetherius itself. So I would assume it does something related to Magicka. Let’s see… The text on the glass mentions something about… ‘retaining blessings’? Blessings found at ‘the conduits to the constellations’...”

There was a moment of silence as they mulled over that, only for Cadmus to speak again. “A magical conduit… Linked to constellations… Like a _Standing Stone_ , maybe?”

That remark jolted her mind into gear. “Yes… The Standing Stones in Skyrim have constellations on them, don’t they? And are said to give certain warriors the ability to rewrite their fate by granting them magical benefits. And they’re old… So old that the Dwemer were likely familiar with them. I think what you’re saying is making sense!”

Her response seemed to encourage him further. “I have visited the Standing Stones in the past. They provided blessings to me, at least. But if you gain the blessing of one stone, it undoes any blessings you got from another. Perhaps this crown allows you to keep the blessing of more than one Stone at a time?”

Again, Katria found that he was making an awful lot of sense. She had experienced similar things during her own visits to Standing Stones. The boons these ancient menhirs granted were quite valuable. She could imagine the Dwemer would love to retain as many of them as they could. That caused her to make up her mind.

She smiled at her lover, her decision made. “The crown it is, then. Let’s start.”

Mimicking what Cadmus had done earlier, she tapped at the strange glass again and the Forge soon whirred to life. The both of them each grabbed a control, steering the process as Katria tried her best to translate. They worked their way through the instructions as well as they could, doing their darndest to bear the intense heat of the Forge and ignore how drained and parched they felt, trying to manage this strange machine and its processes. The sounds of banging and scraping inside it seemed to go on for a long time, possibly half an hour or more, but just as they started to wonder if they had somehow done something wrong, the Forge fell silent once again.

A hatch opened and in a haze of smoke and lingering heat, lay a crown.

In that moment, everything else was forgotten. Still feeling as if she was dreaming, Katria leaned forward to take the item. The metal still felt warm under her fingers, but the moment she took hold of it, something felt different. This was no ordinary crown at all and the simple act of touching it seemed to change something in her.

For a split second, it seemed as if her very consciousness had left her body, wandering into a different plane of existence, surrounded by a sea of pure Magicka. All at once, she seemed aware of a world outside this Forge. She felt a presence, old and arcane— the Standing Stones: the Lady Stone and Warrior Stone to be precise. Those were the last ones she remembered touching, several months ago before she met her fate in Arkngthamz. Now, both were reaching out to her, connecting with her through this crown, and bestowing their blessings. She felt it, this supernatural force reaching out through the Aetherium, and for a moment, she could only be awed.

“Katria? Are you alright? Please, talk to me!”

It was only Cadmus’s worried voice that pulled her out of her state. She stared at him through hazy eyes, pulled back into a reality where she was hot, tired, filthy and unbelievably thirsty. It didn’t matter to her in the slightest as she simply held out the crown to him, inviting him to touch it. He did, and the look on his face told her that he was feeling the exact same thing as she did. He simply stared back at her now, mouth agape, equally awestruck by the true realization of what the two of them had just done here.

With this crown, in this long abandoned Forge, they had just written history.

It was at that exact moment that she finally felt tears welling up in her eyes. She had done it. After everything she had been through, she had done it. All of the betrayal, pain, failure and humiliation was washed away. 

Everything she had worked for had paid off.

The sacrifices she had made to chase her dream were not in vain.

Her work, her life… 

All of it… _mattered_.

Finally allowing her tears of happiness to run freely down her cheeks, Katria held up the crown again, marveling at this amazing thing she and Cadmus had created together. To her, this crown was more than precious crystals and metals— it was the symbol of her accomplishment.

“This crown… it’s everything I could have hoped for. It’s… beautiful.”

She was crying as she said that and she took a deep breath, ignoring how painful the heat of the Forge made it. “And with that… it’s done. No one could possibly deny what we’ve found now… I’ve waited so long for this moment. We did it. At last.”

The Imperial smiled and shook his head. “ _You_ did it. I would not have gotten anywhere without you. This is _your_ discovery, Katria, and you deserve to be proud of it.”

He then carefully took the crown from her hands and placed it on her head. The gesture surprised her, but she had to admit she found it quite sweet and flattering. He moved the hair out of her face and gently wiped away her tears, before planting a delicate, loving kiss on her forehead.

“A crown for the queen of Dwemer metallurgy. I have to say, it _is_ a beautiful crown, but… It’s not as beautiful as you.”

Those words, spoken with humor and yet so much affection, finally pushed her over the edge. As always, he was selling himself short. She would not have been here if it wasn’t for him. She doubted she would have even reached the Forge without him. This man, who had let her into his home and his heart, who had touched her life in a greater way than she could have ever imagined. And right now, she wanted more from him than just some sweet words.

Without thinking any further, she grabbed the front of his armor. He let out a surprised sound, but she couldn’t care less as she pulled him down a little while standing on her toes. She then pressed her lips to his, finally claiming that kiss that she was denied at the Aalto.

Cadmus didn’t protest at all. Instead, she felt him wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her as close as he could. She in turn put her own arms around his shoulders, embracing him and not wanting to let go. He didn’t seem to give a damn at how banged up the both of them were or that they were standing in the middle of an underground Forge. Instead, he responded to that kiss with every ounce of his being, excitedly exploring her mouth with his tongue and making her feel pleasantly giddy despite how worn she was. She could feel her heartbeat growing faster and were it not for the fact that they were several dozen miles underground and surrounded by unpleasant heat, she would’ve loved to go even further with him…

When they finally parted from the kiss, the both of them were practically grinning. She saw very little reason not to. All in all, their quest had been a resounding success, and she had no doubt that Cadmus had been just as excited as she was over the fact that they finally had their first kiss.

Even so, what Cadmus said next was possibly the best thing he said since they came here. “There’s a lake outside the Forge. Shall we quickly grab some water before we continue exploring this place?”

That was definitely not something she was going to disagree with. “That sounds like an excellent idea.”

And with that, the couple exited the Forge, hand in hand, with the Aetherial Crown— the proof of their remarkable discovery— safely in their possession.

* * *

The pair spent the next half hour or so resting by the side of the lake just outside of the Aetherium Forge. The water was pleasantly cool and had thankfully proven to be safe to drink, and the two of them had downed the full contents of their flasks at least three times already at that point. Cadmus had taken some water to clean himself as well, for all the good it did him, and he was currently just sitting back, pouring the water over his head and enjoying the cool vapors of the subterranean lake as he recovered from his draining fight in unbearable heat.

Katria did the same, although she had taken out her journal as well and had begun to sketch rapidly. She was trying her best to draw the machine they had just used to create the crown at the Forge. Fortunately, she had a good memory and an eye for detail, and after spending quite some time in front of the mechanism, it didn’t take long for her to make a rough, but fairly accurate sketch of it. Once she was satisfied with that, she turned her attention to capture the environment around her as much as possible, wanting to record every single detail. Now that she had found the Aetherium Forge, she was going to make sure this discovery was set in stone.

“So, feeling pretty good?”

She looked up at Cadmus as he sat beside her, watching her drawings with immense interest. She scooted a little closer to him, happily leaning into her lover. He let her and simply smiled as she nuzzled him.

She let out a relieved sigh. “Ecstatic, to be honest. Even now, I can’t believe we made it. We have found the Forge, forged a crown made with pure Aetherium… I even have proof in writing, thanks to that slab we took. It’s everything I could have ever wanted. It’s everything I ever set out to do…”

He listened to that with an even bigger grin, kissing the top of her head. “So, what now?”

That question caused her to stop drawing for a bit. “What now?”

He shrugged. “You made the discovery of a lifetime. Possibly one of the biggest in your field. It makes sense to at least get it out there.”

That statement, said so casually, had the Nord woman pause for a moment. Her mouth opened to speak, only to close again when she realized nothing came out. She looked down at her drawings and sighed heavily. 

Once upon a time, she had wanted to publish her work and findings. But after Taron Dreth had stolen all her work and his publishers had laughed away her attempts to prove plagiarism, she had lost all faith in the world’s interest to learn the truth. They seemed mostly interested in the myth of the Forge, an interesting fairytale that would make troublesome adventurers leave town and rid the world of them by getting themselves killed. They didn’t seem to care for ancient technology that might still change the world and, as these publishers had told her to her face, they had a hard time believing that an educated, upstanding member of the Dreth family would steal work from a poor, obscure Nord with barely an education. They had even claimed she was simply motivated by racism against Dunmer and had practically chased her out of the building.

Then there were the threats from the Dreth family themselves, as well as those who financed Taron’s studies. Somehow, her accusations made it back to them and they were none too pleased that one of their own was considered a thief. Even now, she remembered the letters sent to her, telling her in no uncertain terms that if she undertook any further action against him, they would do anything in their power to ensure she would no longer be welcome in any scholarly circles. 

Even now, that memory made her bitter. “I would, but… What good will that do? As far as the world is concerned, _The Aetherium Wars_ is still Taron’s theory and I am simply working off that. Most people wouldn’t even believe that he was my apprentice and not the other way around. It is still my word against his. A Dark Elf of the Dreth family against some Nord woman from a poor, nameless mining village...”

To her shock, Cadmus actually snorted. “A Dunmer who only has a flawed theory, made from your broad and incomplete notes at the time. A Dunmer who, for all his supposed research, couldn’t point anyone in the direction of the Aetherium Forge to save his life. His word, against a woman who actually _found_ the Forge itself and has all the research and evidence to back it up.”

She shook her head. “It’s not that simple. Taron is connected. His family still has something of a name in Morrowind and some of them have connections in Riften. Then there’s the publishers and those investing in his work. His continued success benefits them. They will do anything in their power to make sure it stays that way. And they have already decided I am trouble.”

He gave her a strange look. “How so?”

She took in a heavy breath, drinking some more water before she told him of her earlier attempts to get the truth out. Katria was ashamed to say that she did almost cry again, surprised just how easily those feelings of powerlessness and injustice came back to her. Cadmus, on his end, was simply seething.

His voice was practically guttural. “Those bastards…”

The Nord woman nodded. “So yeah, no one is going to listen to me. Not to a backwater Nord woman from the Reach with nothing to her name…”

“… Unless someone can vouch for you.”

His sudden remark, spoken so calmly, stunned her. “What do you mean?”

The look he gave her was almost frighteningly unperturbed. “You may be considered trouble by those in Taron Dreth’s camp, but their influence only reaches so far. They’re merchants and investors, not scholars. If someone with more authority in the field backs you up and states that your work is valid and worth looking into, there is very little they can do about it. Especially if this person cares more about research and academia itself and less about making money off it.”

She listened to his explanation carefully. He had a point, but it sounded more like a pipe dream. After all, where in Skyrim, the land of Nords obsessed with their own past glory and no interest in any history that was not their own, could she find someone who would be willing to listen to her about ancient Dwemer forging techniques? 

“And where would we find such a person?”

This time, he actually smirked. “I know a man in Markarth. He’s an Altmer court mage and one of the most singular scholars of Dwemer and Falmer culture I ever met. His name is Calcelmo.”

That name immediately set off bells inside her head. “Calcelmo? He’s still here in Skyrim, working on his studies?”

Cadmus smiled. “That’s right. I take it you’re familiar with him?”

She nodded vehemently. “Yes! He used to work with my mentor Staubin! Staubin always claimed that at least half of what he knew, he learned from him! But… I… I doubt he’ll remember me… After all, he only met me once, I was only a teenager back then and that was twenty years ago… I don’t think he has time for the likes of me...”

By now, her lover was grinning a mile wide. “Calcelmo tends to listen to me though. And he’s an honorable man, one who cares about the pursuit of knowledge. If I tell him you have something new and exciting to offer when it comes to the Dwemer, he will have all the time in Nirn for you. Trust me.”

There was something rather earnest about the Imperial now and Katria wasn’t entirely sure if she shared that sentiment. He seemed entirely too confident that this plan of his would work and that somehow, one of the greatest scholars of their time would be willing to hear them out. It sounded insane, even by her lover’s standards, and even now, she wasn’t sure what to answer.

Cadmus, however, had seemingly made up his mind and stood up. “I say we’re going to do what we already planned. Search this place from top to bottom, and get us all the proof we can about the existence of the Aetherium Forge. In the meantime, I’m going to look around and see if I can’t find some nice contributions for Calcelmo’s studies as well.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Contributions?”

Her lover nodded. “I think Calcelmo will be more willing to meet with us if we present him with something that can benefit his work as well. Some of the artifacts we picked up from the other ruins should already help. You took the Dynamo Cores from both the Dwarven Centurion Master at Raldbthar and that unique one we just fought at the Forge… I’m sure he’d be more than happy to add them to his collection at the Dwemer Museum.”

The Nord woman found herself nodding. “Yeah, that makes sense. So… What should we do after we leave this place? You sound like you’ve already got a plan figured out.”

Again, the Imperial grinned. “I say we travel to Riften and take a carriage from there to Whiterun, and then to Markarth. It’s time to finally give you the recognition you deserve. What do you say?”

Again, he sounded so earnest and so confident that she found it hard to outright say “no”. She should. After all, how great was the chance that they would manage to get that audience with a man like Calcelmo? And even if they did, would he really want to take up the proverbial sword against the Dreth family? They were taking a major risk with little chance of reward and yet, he made it sound like it was as simple as asking one’s mother whether they could go play outside.

Inwardly, she cursed. Was this what people meant when they talked about Imperials and their honeyed tongues? And yet…

She also couldn’t deny that something about what he said drew her. All this time, she had only thought about some personal recompense. Something to heal the wound of Taron’s betrayal. Still, Cadmus seemed to want more than that. He wanted her to have recognition. He wanted her to have _justice_.

That very notion caused something to snap inside her and suddenly, memories came flooding back. Memories of her parents calling her useless, a foolish dreamer, a lousy miner and a bane to any husband she’d marry. Ragnvald telling her no one cared for the history of long-dead people, that she wouldn’t make any money off her work and that she should be more practical. Taron making snide remarks about her work and how it compensated for actually having any love or appreciation in her life. His publishers dismissing her claims and calling her a talentless, spiteful troublemaker. Being chased out of numerous villages and cities because she was seen as nothing more than a well-read and well-spoken beggar.

Suddenly, there was an explosion of anger inside her chest. But it was not the type that came from helplessness. It was assertive rage, the kind that came from finally being pushed too far. From finally seeing all the wrongdoings against her pile up and realizing she had taken it in stride for far too long.

Katria looked at her lover. Perhaps he was right. It was time to finally put her foot down and get herself some justice. And if he believed he had a way to help her get it, then she was willing to give that a try.

She let out a small sigh, trying to calm the fury boiling inside her, but smiled at her lover all the same. “Alright, Cadmus. I just hope you know what you’re doing…”

He leaned forward, giving her another gentle kiss on the lips. “Trust me, I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t think we had a chance.”

He offered her his hand and she took it as he pulled her to her feet. He then followed her back into the Forge so she could make some more sketches and notes and finish her research. She got to it, with a spring in her step and a renewed sense of determination. For now, she was going to bask in her victory, her discovery. Once she had everything in order, they would set out to Riften and from there, go all the way to Markarth.

Perhaps this time, the odds would finally be in her favor, and she could finally get her recognition.

It was time to finally have her moment in the sun.


	12. A Meeting in Markarth

“Ah yes, the Silver-Blood Inn. Home to the comfiest stone beds in Markarth. The arguing married innkeepers are free…”

Cadmus snorted at Katria as she mumbled the words under her breath, munching on some jerky as they relaxed at the back of the establishment in front of the fire. She had a point. He wouldn’t even recognize the Silver-Blood Inn without the experience of trying to fall asleep on solid stone, all while listening to the tune of innkeepers Kleppr and Frabbi wiling away the last unhappy years of their marriage. Even so, things had changed significantly since they were last here and he was perfectly willing to put up with inconvenience if it got him closer to their goals.

He was glad they had made it, despite little deviations in their travelling schedule. Originally, the plan had been to make their way to Riften, clean up at the inn there, get some sleep, and then take a carriage to Whiterun and then to Markarth. However, as they followed the Treva river towards the town, they had run into a familiar face.

Grosta, the owner of the local Heartwood Mill, had recognized him, even when dressed from head to toe in Ebony armor. She had greeted him excitedly, before asking about his disheveled state. He had explained the situation to her and she had readily offered them to go to her home and clean up there, as well as enjoy a fresh meal and stay the night.

Katria had been a little surprised at how friendly and familiar Grosta was with him. Cadmus explained that he had helped her when her husband had gone missing and the mill threatened to go under. When said husband was found dead and she worried about how she would feed her son, he’d invested in her business and pointed her in the direction of several building projects in the region. That push had been enough for her to crawl out of the hole she was in and now she and her son found themselves operating the most successful lumber mill in The Rift. Needless to say, this had made him a permanent friend in her eyes, to the point that an impromptu visit was a complete non-issue.

As such, they had spent the evening at the now heavily expanded Heartwood Mill, enjoying fresh chicken dumplings and tomato soup, with eidar cheese and buttermilk. Grosta and the mill workers she now employed had even allowed them to use their tubs and that night, after a refreshing bath, they both comfortably settled into the guest bedroom of her new and improved house, falling asleep the moment they hit the sheets.

Since this visit had eliminated their need to spend the night in Riften, home of thieves, corruption and a mead bootlegger from the Dreth family, Cadmus suggested to alter their plans somewhat. Instead, they would head directly to the Riften stables, get a carriage and immediately head for Whiterun. That way, they’d be there by the evening and get to sleep in the comfort of his house rather than nodding off on the cart.

His lover had happily approved of this plan and indeed, after a long but thankfully uneventful trip, they were glad to find themselves walking into Breezehome again. After sharing a hearty dinner of roasted chicken, carrots, potatoes and peas with Lydia, the two of them got ready for bed. Lydia had readily offered to switch beds with Cadmus again, but Katria had assured her that it wouldn’t be necessary this time around, adding that she was quite comfortable sharing a bed with him now. The bemused look Lydia gave the two of them said it all, but she thankfully didn’t press the matter further as she smirked and simply wished them a wonderful night.

Frankly, the kind of “wonderful night” Lydia had likely envisioned for them didn’t quite happen. By the time they were under the covers, they could hardly do more than a bit of kissing before the exhaustion from traveling set in and sleep quickly overtook them. Neither of them minded, however, as they were glad to be able to stay in a home setting for a while and gather some supplies before moving on to Markarth.

They had arrived at the capital of The Reach in the evening as well and quickly rented some rooms to spend the night. Cadmus had even put his Imperial charm to work by convincing Kleppr to provide them with a room that had actual bedding and mattresses, before offering to invest in his business so this luxury could be ensured for the entire inn. After that conversation, they had been flooded with endless rounds of free drinks, each attributed to a different happy fellow patron, and they had gone to bed quite giddy and in a good mood.

Now, they were sitting in front of the hearth, munching on a modest breakfast and biding their time before they could head to the Understone Keep. Though from the looks of it, Katria could hardly get any food into her mouth. Worried, he leaned over and touched her arm.

“Are you alright?”

She sighed. “Sorry, I’m just feeling really nervous and apprehensive… What if this doesn’t work?”

He smiled. “Well, we’ll only know if we go up there, won’t we?”

In any other case, that might have done the trick, but Katria only looked more worried. “Yes, but what if it doesn’t? What if Calcelmo isn’t interested at all? Or what if he sides with Taron over me?”

The answer to that was an easy one. “Then he is a fool that has wasted our time and we will find another. But I have a feeling he’s willing to hear us out.”

It seemed like she wanted to say more, but quickly abandoned the idea. Part of him was glad for that. It was best if she saved her energy for actually talking to Calcelmo. They were currently killing time until the city of Markarth was fully awake and visiting the Understone Keep would be considered proper. Of course, Cadmus had sent a letter beforehand to inform Calcelmo in advance that they were planning to visit him, but knowing the Altmer mage could admittedly be rather absent-minded at times, he’d probably forgotten already… Still, the Imperial was optimistic that the court wizard would still accommodate them due to the artifacts that they planned to contribute to his museum.

The hours crept by incredibly slowly, agonizingly so, and in an effort not to make her any more nervous, the two simply sat in silence, watching the flames, with the arguing of Kleppr and Frabbi as background noise. Cadmus was incredibly thankful when it was finally time to leave, since he was quite sure he would’ve lost it if he’d been forced to listen to any more arguments about bedsheets and mead stains. He gently touched Katria’s shoulder, indicating they should go and the both of them quietly picked up all their stuff and left the inn. They then made their ways up the streets of the stone city, finding their way to the imposing keep where their objective lay.

The guards seemed suspicious when he approached, nervously clasping at their swords at the sight of a tall, heavily-built man in full Ebony armor. He responded by taking off his helmet and the moment they saw his face, they stepped back and let him pass without question. Katria seemed to notice this, but didn’t say anything as they entered through the large metal doors, having now mentally committed to her goal.

It didn’t take long for them to find Calcelmo. The man was where Cadmus would usually see him whenever he visited the Understone Keep, in a lonely wing hunched over his Arcane Enchanter. He didn’t seem particularly occupied, except with his usual work and studies, and the Imperial figured they shouldn’t delay.

He glanced at Katria, who gave him an anxious nod in return, before approaching him. “Um, excuse me, Master Calcelmo?”

An irritated grumble was his first response. “What is it now? When will you people stop bothering me for spells and enchantments and just let me finish my research? I’m very busy.”

For a fraction of a second, he swore he saw the Nord woman’s lips curl upwards a bit. Apparently, she too was familiar with the Altmer’s eccentricities and single-minded pursuits. Even so, he wasn’t bothered at all and responded with humor.

“Too busy for an acquaintance bringing some Dwemer artifacts to help with that research?”

The magic words “Dwemer artifacts” actually had the mage look up. He looked him in the face and whatever annoyance he still felt quickly left his face. Instead, the Imperial was met with a happy smile as Calcelmo stepped away from the Arcane Enchanter to properly greet him.

“Well, those don’t exactly waste my time now, do they? Good to see you again, Cadmus. What have you brought for me this time?”

Realizing he now had his attention and willingness to listen, Cadmus set down his knapsack and started retrieving the items from it. “Well, some fully functional Centurion Dynamo Cores, to start with.”

Almost immediately, the Altmer’s eyes grew wide. “Functional ones, you say? That is amazing!” 

The mage reached out and he handed the Dynamo Core to him, watching how he held the spinning glowing object like a precious glass vase. “I have been studying Dwemer sources of energy for over a century and even now, there is still so much I don’t know. Having fully functional energy sources like this… You have no idea what a boon this is for my research. How much do you want?”

Cadmus shook his head. “I don’t need money. Just glad I was able to contribute. But if you think a few of those are impressive, you should see the one she found…”

Instantly, he had the Altmer’s undivided attention and he used this to quickly motion Katria closer, running his hand over her back affectionately in an effort to calm her. It was only now that the mage seemed to notice that there was another person with them. His look of confusion was quickly replaced by embarrassment as he greeted her.

“Oh, where are my manners! You’ve been standing here all this time and I didn’t even greet you. Are you Cadmus’s wife?”

For a moment, the Imperial swore Katria blushed and she laughed awkwardly as she introduced herself. “No, though we are very close. I’m Katria. I am a scholar of Dwemer engineering and metallurgy...”

She was about to say more, when Calcelmo suddenly looked at her with a dropped jaw. He saw how the older man stared at her like she was some kind of otherworldly apparition and how his brain was clearly trying to work something out. Suddenly, there was a flicker of realization in his eyes and he laughed happily.

“Katria… Oh, yes! I remember now. You were one of Staubin’s students, were you not? Yes… the girl who started out as a bodyguard and became one of his most promising students.”

Now it was Katria’s turn to be absolutely floored and frankly, so was he. Even in his best laid plans, he hadn’t imagined that someone with Calcelmo’s age and personality would actually remember a student he only met once. It was unbelievable, but at the same time, it only enforced his belief that his idea to seek out the Altmer scholar might actually work.

The recognition seemed to relax Katria considerably and she smiled. “Yes, that one. I’m… surprised you still remember me after all this time.”

Now, the mage actually grinned. “How could I not? Staubin— Aedra rest this soul— talked about you a lot. He told me all about your discoveries, how you had a knack for archaeology despite having no formal training… The brightest young mind he’d ever met, he called you, and from what he showed me, I have to concur. Taron Dreth even referenced you in his book as a dear colleague and friend. My dear, I’m quite surprised you haven’t yet published any books yourself! Now then… what is it that you wanted to show me?”

Calcelmo thankfully didn’t notice the meaningful look exchanged between him and Katria. To her credit, she quickly recovered and saw her opening. She took out the Dynamo Core she had scavenged off the Forgemaster and presented it to him.

She might as well have held up a large diamond to Calcelmo. “Incredible… The size of this thing and the markings… The reinforcements as well. I’ve never seen a Core quite like this… Where did you get it?”

This time, she needed no prodding from him and smiled again. “Would you believe it if I said it came from the Aetherium Forge?”

Calcelmo instantly responded with a chuckle. However, as he looked at her again and saw she maintained a serious look, his own expression started to change. Cadmus watched as the full weight of what she had said hit the mage like a ton of quarried stone. He looked Katria over as he was gazing upon the Divines themselves and when he spoke, there was sheer shock and disbelief in his voice.

“You are claiming to have found the Aetherium Forge?”

His lover spoke with a confidence he hadn’t heard so far. “I am not _claiming_ it. I have _proof_. But I’d love for you to validate it, if you can spare some time…”

The Imperial in him wept with joy at that beautiful feat of speechcraft. It was the perfect finish to what they had set out to do. They now had Calcelmo’s full interest and he knew the Dwemer scholar in him would not be able to let this go even if a dragon dragged him away.

His response sealed the deal. “Would you two be willing to come to my quarters? If what you say is true, then we have much to discuss.”

Were it not utterly inappropriate at that moment, Cadmus might have just kissed her. Still, he held that thought as he saw Katria nod to that suggestion and was practically beaming at him as she picked up her knapsack and started following the Altmer. He did the same, excited to see how this was going to turn out.

* * *

The look on Katria’s face was absolutely priceless once they were away from the main area of the Keep. As they entered the Dwemer Museum— formerly Calcelmo’s private collection but now open to the public of Markarth— her reactions exuded sheer glee and excitement. Just the sight of her being so happy made Cadmus feel warm all over. She was truly in her element, surrounded by the things she loved and in the presence of someone who loved them as much as she did. And even though the things being housed in the museum were items she saw and interacted with on a regular basis, she still marveled at all the exhibits and the artifacts on display. 

Katria was so happy that she was practically bouncing around the museum, moving from exhibit to exhibit. From the domestic Dwemer archaeological artifacts such as pots, bowls, and urns; to Dwemer ingots, amulets, jewelry and machinery parts; to the Dwarven automatons, which included a Dwarven Centurion, several Dwarven Spiders and Dwarven Spheres, and also ballistae. She was even impressed by the exhibit displaying Falmer artifacts in the corner, for as much as she disliked the creatures. Cadmus also noticed that new collections had been added, such as bits of Dwemer architecture including columns, pediments, reliefs and various sculptures. An entirely new section of the floor had even been opened up, and there was now an exhibit that showcased a restored, fully functional Dwemer kitchen area. There were a few times where he had to remind his lover to keep following Calcelmo, as she was simply mesmerized by everything she saw.

This didn’t stop when they finally made it to his private quarters, which were filled to the brim with even more unique and rare Dwarven artifacts. Still, Calcelmo was very patient with her, no doubt glad to talk to someone who was actually interested, and offered her small explanations and backstories of everything that caught her eye. Eventually, they made it to a sitting area. The mage poured them some rose herbal tea and Cadmus made a point of handing over all the artifacts he’d intended to present as gifts. These included some minor ones like urns and inscriptions, the items they’d taken from the storeroom in Mzulft, as well as amulets they had uncovered at the Forge with what looked like minute traces of Aetherium, which he had found in chests on the other side of the magma river.

Those especially caught the mage’s eye and he studied them with a deep reverence. The happiness on his face mirrored that of Katria’s whenever they entered a Dwarven ruin and Cadmus simply sat back and drank his tea while the man had his moment. Eventually, the Altmer managed to tear himself away, thanking them profusely and storing the items, before sitting back down with them.

“So you say you have found the Aetherium Forge. What makes you so certain? Your colleague Taron is the most prominent scholar on the topic and even he thinks it likely no longer exists.”

At the mention of the name, the Imperial quickly glanced at his lover, but she remained perfectly composed. He was glad about that. She should be. Taron Dreth’s words meant little compared to the evidence she carried.

The Nord woman seemed to sense that too. “Well, the ruin we found at Bthalft could only be opened with an Aetherium Crest. We managed to find all Shards of it, scattered across the ruins of Arkngthamz, Bthar-Zel, Raldbthar and Mzulft. We entered and one of the first things we found was this…”

He sat as she carefully took the stone slab out of her knapsack and unwrapped it. Calcelmo’s eyes widened and he started to skim over the still legible Dwemeris on the slab. He then looked back at Katria in astonishment.

“This seems to be a memorial plaque. It mentions the four cities, as well as several people. Could those be people who were vital in the creation of the Forge? Or research about Aetherium in general?”

Katria nodded. “That was what I was thinking as well. We found several other things that indicate that. Old Dwemer books that were somehow preserved. Enforced calipers that were likely used to handle the volatile material. A strange clockwork of sorts that may have run on Aetherium…”

Again, she presented these additional items to him, giving him the time to examine them. Calcelmo did so, with the zeal of a starving person being offered mammoth steak. Though with the calipers, Cadmus wasn’t sure whether it had to do with them being used for handling Aetherium or just seeing calipers in Skyrim. Even so, he seemed to be having a great time, elated to delve deeper into a corner of Dwemer research that was barely touched.

When he spoke, he still sounded skeptical, though his tone was pure friendliness. “These are indeed some unusual finds. But what makes you so sure that this was indeed the location of the Aetherium Forge?”

By now, that edge of cynicism didn’t bother Katria at all. “Well, we found the Forge itself too.”

Confidently, she grabbed her journal and opened it to the accurate, perfected drawing she had made at Bthalft. “This was the machine we found. A Dwemer forge. Driven by magma from within the ground and operated by a strange sort of Dwarven Glass showing instructions and images that responded to touch. It was guarded by a unique Dwarven Centurion whose Dynamo Core I showed you earlier. It still works too. Because we put in some ingots, gems and the Aetherium Crest and were able to forge, well… _this_...”

Even though he knew what was coming, Cadmus could feel his heart race as she took out the Aetherial Crown and presented it to their host. Even now, he was immensely proud of the journey they had undertaken and the results of it. But if he felt a rush at displaying their craft, then the Altmer’s feelings were so much more overwhelming.

Calcelmo stared as if he were looking upon the face of Auri-El himself. His eyes followed the Crown as she put it on the table and for several long minutes, the mage could only look at it with the type of fervor rarely seen outside of priests in temples. He then reached out to it, seeming almost scared to actually touch it, but too curious not to either.

As his fingers touched the cool metal, he gasped, no doubt feeling the same connection to the Standing Stones as he and Katria did. He gingerly picked it up, inspecting it on all sides and when he finally spoke, there was nothing but complete awe in his voice.

“By the Aedra…”

Katria didn’t say anything in response. Neither did he. Both of them knew they didn’t have to. They had just made their case.

When the mage finally found his voice, his words were a jumble. “D-do you even know what you have done? What this crown represents? What all these artifacts imply? Katria… This is not just a grand discovery. This… This may change _everything_ we know about the Dwemer city-states in Skyrim! This may change studies about the Dwemer and their technology for the next three decades! Maybe even a century!”

Those statements threw Cadmus for a loop. Of course, he’d understood that what Katria had discovered was significant. But to hear Calcelmo, a respected scholar who had lived several human lifetimes already, speak about it like this filled him with a new sense of amazement and reverence for his lover. Staubin had been right. She truly was a bright mind.

His admiration was clearly shared by the Altmer. Calcelmo reached for his tea with trembling hands, drinking it with hasty sips. He continued to look at the items, almost laughing, and repeatedly shaking his head. He took in several deep breaths, before looking at them again.

“How? How did you even manage to find something like this? What research went into it? There’s _The Aetherium Wars_ , but that book gives little in the way of clues or indications of where to even look for the Forge…”

Again, Katria stayed admirably calm and composed at the mention of the book. “Well, years of traveling and digging, really. And exploring ruins. It would take ages to tell the full story. I could fill three books or more with all the notes I made.”

As she said this, Calcelmo picked the book with her drawing of the Forge off the table. Cadmus watched how the mage studied the illustrations, then started flipping through the pages. The Elf smiled as he did, absorbing the work like it was a riveting novel. The mood he exuded was child-like glee, but the Imperial could tell that Katria was slowly getting nervous.

“Um… I’d like that back once you’re done.”

Her response caused Calcelmo to look up. He furrowed his brows, almost as if he tried to understand what she was getting at. When he answered, Cadmus heard clear confusion in his voice.

“Why would I not give it back to you? It’s your discovery.”

The Imperial didn’t miss the genuine innocence in that statement and he fought a wry smile. For all his flaws, Calcelmo was sometimes too pure for this world. It didn’t even occur to him that he could steal her work or pass it off as his own. That already put him leagues ahead of some other scholars he knew.

He looked at Katria, whose fingers were now strangling the cup of tea in her lap. She moved her lips, but no words came out. He could see the panic rising in her eyes and for a moment, he was certain that she was going to spill the entire situation that occurred with Taron Dreth then and there. He reached over in an effort to calm her, but right at that moment, Calcelmo acted.

His earlier smile had completely disappeared. The mage was watching his lover, intently so, and his eyes had a piercing, focused quality. The intensity of it unsettled even him, but as he was about to ask, the Altmer turned back to the notes. He flipped through several more pages, thoroughly reading all of it. His movements got more frantic and urgent and when he looked up again, there was a sense of insistence in his tone.

“Katria? This may be a strange question, but can I see your notes? The very oldest you still possess? I… I need to check something...”

The Nord woman seemed to hesitate for a moment, no doubt even more suspicious now. Yet, something about the mage’s request was commanding enough that she complied. The moment she took that notebook out of her knapsack and handed it to him, he practically snatched it from her. He started skimming through that as well and even from where he sat, Cadmus could hear his breathing become more rapid.

Suddenly, he closed both books and put them on the table. “Excuse me for a moment…”

Before either of them could respond, he had practically launched off his chair and marched towards a bookcase. The Imperial watched him pull out a book, as well as what looked like several letters and bound notes. He then returned to his seat, reading the contents of the materials he had procured, before opening Katria’s notebooks again.

As he read in silence, still appearing agitated and obsessed, Cadmus leaned forward under the pretense of getting the rest of his tea. In reality, he was discreetly having a look at the new writings Calcelmo had picked up. His new angle gave him a good enough look, but when he saw, he couldn’t even think of grabbing the cup.

He could recognize the cover of that book anywhere.

Immediately, Cadmus turned back to Katria. Her face was white as linen. She had seen it too and was just as confused and uneasy at the sudden presence of _The Aetherium Wars_. Realizing she might have a breakdown if this kept going, he decided to step in. But the moment he planned to open his mouth, Calcelmo growled.

“Aedra be good…”

Before the Imperial could do anything, the mage put the opened book on the table and turned it so the text was facing them. He did the same with Katria’s oldest notebook. The Altmer then looked her straight in the eye, determined and intensely, and when he spoke, his voice sounded like rain in the Elsweyr deserts.

“ _The Aetherium Wars_ was _your_ theory, wasn’t it? Taron Dreth plagiarized _your_ work!”

In that very second, as every word of that sentence was spoken with unassailable confidence, Cadmus fell still. Feeling like someone knocked the air out of him with a warhammer, he gaped at the Altmer, sitting in his chair with the surest expression he had ever seen. He was not wrong to be that certain and it filled the Imperial with nothing short of awed respect.

It left him lost for words, but Katria still managed to wring some out. “T-that’s right. He did. But how do you—”

Calcelmo readily responded, almost as if he had to explain something ridiculously simple. “Well, there’s the style, first of all. I’ve been corresponding with Dreth through letters and he sent me his attempt at a follow-up book to review. To put it generously, his style of writing doesn’t remotely match that of ‘his’ first published work. It is barely even on the same level. Floods of jargon to mask empty hypotheses! Your notes, however, match perfectly.”

Katria was clearly taken aback by this, but he continued. “Then, there’s the paper of your oldest notes and the handwriting. I have seen the original written manuscript of _The Aetherium Wars_. I held it in my hands as I was asked to do an honorary reading of it. But Dreth never again used this kind of paper and has completely different handwriting. Your oldest material has the same paper and handwriting, is far more accurate and detailed than _The Aetherium Wars_ and looks much older than what he claims are his own oldest writings, including things he supposedly wrote before the book. Which means that he likely stole a very early, very incomplete version of your theory.”

He sat back, folding his fingers together. “And then, there was your reaction just now. I don’t think I did anything inappropriate by picking up evidence that you presented to me. Yet you seemed very nervous and afraid of me grabbing your written work and going through it. Which gave me the sense that something bad happened the last time you allowed someone to do that. Add to this that Taron Dreth is always trying to cajole _me_ into showing him _my_ research and you two know each other... Well, a link was easily made.”

By now, Katria looked at him with her mouth open and Cadmus was strongly wondering whether he should just get off his own chair and kneel at Calcelmo’s feet. This entire visit, he had wondered whether he or Katria should bring up what happened. Whether they should raise the accusation of plagiarism or just focus on getting Calcelmo to vouch for her current work. The latter would definitely be easier and they could always try the former at a different time. Yet now, all that planning and careful strategizing was wiped away by the actions of one scholar with insight far beyond both their years.

He had figured it out on his own, without a shred of prompting on their end. In the span of ten minutes, he had worked out what a room full of publishers couldn’t or wouldn't bother to. This socially awkward, occasionally bumbling Altmer was frighteningly intelligent, to the point that it scared Cadmus. Even he, well aware of Calcelmo’s brilliance, was sometimes so distracted by his eccentricities and absent-mindedness that he forgot that the Elf was actually as sharp as a knife.

Even so, the mage suddenly let out a heavy sigh and reached over to pour everyone more tea. “Truth be told… I’ve had suspicions before. The first time I talked to Dreth and when I was handed that manuscript, something had felt… off. Maybe it was his personality and his insistence to ingratiate himself with me while giving nothing in return. The way he tried to weasel his way into seeing my research. Or the fact that I noticed his correspondence and other drafts were nothing like the manuscript. Perhaps I vaguely remembered some of your work that Staubin showed me. But at the time… I just couldn’t put a finger on it…”

A heavy silence settled in the room. Not knowing what else to do, Cadmus found himself downing another helping of tea and Katria did the same. She seemed far away, almost as if she couldn’t process the fact that the truth was out now. Their audience with Calcelmo had not turned out how they had expected at all, but they weren’t sure if that left them incredibly happy or mortally stunned.

Then, without warning, the Altmer spoke. “I should have looked into it. I should have asked questions. I should’ve been suspicious when he mentioned your name in the book and tracked you down to get your side of the story. Or shared the book with Staubin, who probably would’ve recognized your work in a heartbeat… I had a hunch, but I did nothing with it and neither did anyone else. No one looked up from their own research long enough to care about a colleague and we allowed you to be cheated out of one of the most significant theories in our field…”

He smiled sadly. “I have failed you, Katria, and while an apology may not be enough, I beg your forgiveness for my inability to act.”

Cadmus looked over to his lover. She still sat frozen, but he could see that her eyes were misty. He could hardly blame her. For the first time in her life, another scholar believed her. And not just any scholar, but one of the greatest and most respected men in the field. After twenty years of nothing but disdain and mockery, someone was listening and he could only imagine how that made her feel.

Eventually, she shook her head. “There is nothing you need forgiveness for, Calcelmo. I’m simply glad to have your trust and support.”

Her response made the Altmer smile, but then he suddenly stood up with a determined expression. “Then let me display that trust and support by making amends...”

He picked up one of the letters. “Dreth has been corresponding with me again recently. He has been staying in Morrowind for a while and is coming to visit me here to ‘confer’ with me about his 'future work'. No doubt another attempt to try and steal my research. I say we should give him a warm welcome. And by warm, I mean too hot to handle."

There was a sense of anger and odd glee in his voice, one that Cadmus had never heard before. He noticed how the man’s entire attitude had shifted out of nowhere. Katria, who likely wanted to be nowhere near Dreth, looked at him confused.

“What do you mean, Calcelmo?”

The Altmer smiled. “Whenever I process new discoveries, I place them in my Dwemer Museum. Then I invite select people to come view the exhibition. Other scholars, mages, publishers, officials, reporters and heralds. Anyone with knowledge and an interest in Dwemer studies, basically. Now if I tell them there will be an exhibition about Aetherium, with an actual crown forged with the material, discovered by an esteemed colleague, there is sure to be a full house. It will probably also be very interesting to those who published _The Aetherium Wars_ and, let’s not forget, Taron Dreth himself. After all, he was the first to supposedly write about the Forge— as far as most people know, that is.”

Katria gave him an incredulous look. “So you basically want him and his backers to walk right into an exhibition with _my_ discovery? To do what? Take credit for leading me to it?!”

Calcelmo’s smile grew wider. “Yes. And to have them do so in a room filled with people knowledgeable about the subject. People who will ask him questions his supporters did not. And most of all, people who have _evidence_ that he has not written _The Aetherium Wars_ …”

Katria didn’t say anything to that. Neither did Cadmus. Instead, he observed Calcelmo and how his usually friendly, somewhat scatter-brained expression had turned to something outright wicked. Again, it hit him that, between his knowledge, conjuring abilities and life experience, this man was not someone you wanted to cross under any circumstances and he had decided he loved him all the more for it. 

The grin on his own face probably looked diabolical as well. “You want to catch him with his pants down. In front of everyone that matters… You’re planning to lure him into a trap and expose him!”

All Calcelmo did in response was to maintain that impish smile, looking almost serene as he did. The only person in the room who still seemed to have some hesitation was Katria, but that sentiment was quickly washed away like sand in a stream. She smiled as well, beautiful and terrifying, as a single, pure truth became clear to her. 

That, at last, there would be _justice_.

Her tone was practically elated. “Calcelmo, I did not think you were capable of something so devious.”

The Altmer laughed. “I hardly see it as devious, Katria. Stealing someone’s research and passing it off as your own is devious. Exposing a thief as a thief is a civic duty. As is sending a clear message that such behavior will have consequences.”

He rose from his chair and reached over to Katria to hand her the letter. “It will take at least another week for Dreth to get here. He tends to travel slowly, no doubt because his success has rendered him allergic to carriages and regular inn beds. That gives us plenty of time to put our own plans in motion.”

He sat back down and finished his tea. “Until then, the two of you will be my honored guests. You are welcome to stay in the spare bedroom on the third floor. I’ll ask my nephew to bring you up there so the both of you can rest for a bit. Then, we should get him and some workers together and discuss what this exhibition is going to look like. I will especially appreciate your input there, Katria.”

By now, Katria was beaming. “I will be glad to be of assistance. Thank you, Calcelmo… Thank you, for hearing me out… You have no idea…”

The Altmer smiled. “Perhaps not, but from what I can see, it was important that I did. Before I call my nephew to take you up to your room, however, I must ask. Are you two comfortable sharing a bed?”

This caused Cadmus to look at Katria with a smirk, an expression which she mirrored, and he responded. “Yes. We may not be married yet, but we _are_ lovers. So a double bed will suit us fine.”

The mage chuckled. “So I wasn’t entirely off then. Well, excuse me for a moment while I get Aicantar and we can get you settled in…”

Calcelmo proved to be a man of his word. Within moments, his nephew had made it to the private chambers and offered to bring them to their quarters for the upcoming week. It was, however, clear that Calcelmo had told him at least a little of what was going on, as the younger Altmer started to excitedly question Katria about her finds. She answered him as well as she could while they walked and Cadmus was content to simply let them, knowing how much it meant for Katria to be among like-minded people for once.

After a few minutes, they reached the spare bedroom, which had a decently sized, regular, _non-stone_ double bed in the middle of it. The room also had a storage chest, a writing desk and a small dining table with two chairs. There was also a small fireplace facing the left side of the bed, which Cadmus was quite frankly very thankful for since it was getting colder this time of year. He also caught a glimpse of a bathtub behind the door, which pleased him as he and Katria both enjoyed having a hot bath before going to bed whenever they could. The smile on his lover’s face told him that she was thinking the same thing as well.

As he looked around the rest of the room however, he nearly jumped when he saw a Dwarven Sphere with its sword arm raised on the right side of the bed. His hand moved to the hilt of his sword on instinct and Aicantar had to step in to explain that the automaton had no Soul Gem inside, before smiling and casually mentioning that he had several deactivated Dwarven Spiders of all varieties in his own bedroom as well. The Imperial could only nod and smile politely, not wanting to offend his hosts, but at the same time wondering how in Oblivion he would sleep at night with that thing standing over him rather ominously…

Once they had put their things down in their room, the young Altmer offered Katria a safe to put her research in to make her feel more at ease, which she gladly accepted. He then left them to their devices, and as they sat down on the side of the bed, for the first time since arriving in Markarth, he saw a look of sheer relief on his lover’s face. Smiling, he put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer towards him. She gladly snuggled up to him, putting her hand on his chin and tilting her head so she could kiss him. He happily reciprocated, and for a few moments, the two of them simply sat there, lost in each other’s affection. When they parted, Cadmus tenderly stroked Katria’s face, and she kissed the back of his hand in return.

She let out a soft sigh. “Thank you for bringing me here, Cadmus…”

He kissed the top of her head. “It must be a huge weight off your chest, huh?”

Katria grinned. “Definitely.”

They removed their armor and changed into regular clothes, then relaxed on the bed for a bit. For the rest of the afternoon, Katria was on her feet, helping to coordinate what would be the first real exhibition of her work. Cadmus tried to help where he could, either by lifting and moving things, running errands and even making suggestions, but he made sure to let her and Calcelmo take the reins. This was her wheelhouse, after all, and he wanted to make sure that she could enjoy this for all it was worth.

It was already very late when, after a hearty and delicious dinner, the two of them finally retired to their bed. Feeling quite tired from all the lifting, the Imperial wasted no time undressing and getting under the covers, and he was immensely happy when Katria was quick to join him there. She kissed him happily, contentedly settling in his arms and snuggling on the soft, comfortable mattress.

“Thank the Divines. There are other beds in Markarth besides those awful stone ones…”

Cadmus laughed a little at that. “I know. It’s a miracle. Though Divines know I could have done without that Dwarven Sphere looming menacingly over us…”

As he said that, he eyed the disabled automaton positioned right next to him. Perhaps Calcelmo liked keeping it around for its scientific value, maybe for its craftsmanship, but as someone who was often at the receiving end of their blades and bolts, it quite frankly gave him the creeps. Even though he was well aware that it had no Soul Gem and was nothing more than a harmless prop at this point, the adventurer in him expected it to spring to life at any moment and that feeling was hard to shake.

Katria, however, seemed unperturbed. Instead, she pulled him in for another kiss, wrapping a leg around his waist and before he knew it, he had forgotten all about the wretched piece of decoration. As he held her close, he noticed how big her smile was, despite her obvious fatigue. It was easily the most beautiful sight he’d seen all day.

“So… I think we can say that our audience with Calcelmo was a success...”

She chuckled. “More than a success… I… I still can’t believe it, Cadmus… After all this time… My work will be put out there, for other people to see… Everything I’ve done, everything I am… It will have meaning. It _matters_ …”

He noticed how emotional she sounded and gently cupped her face. “Yes, Katria. It matters. _You_ matter. I think so and so does Calcelmo. And with a bit of luck, a lot more people will soon share that sentiment.”

He brushed his lips against hers. “You should sleep. You worked hard today and we have a long week ahead. We need all the rest we can get.”

Thankfully, Katria didn’t argue with him about that. Instead, she nuzzled her head against his chest, planting a few light kisses on his collarbone, and within moments, she was drifting off. It didn’t take long for his own eyelids to become heavy as well, yawns escaping from his mouth. He was slowly being lulled into a slumber by the warmth of the bed and her body, feeling content as he did. They had found the Shards and they had found the Forge. Now all that was left was to find Katria the respect and recognition she so deserved.

The next day, they would begin planning for the exhibition. He was going to help her in any way he could, to make sure that his lover would finally get her moment to shine. But for now, as he finally drifted off into a deep sleep, he was happy with the victory the two of them had achieved that day.


	13. An Exhibition at the Dwemer Museum

“Aren’t you going to eat anything, Katria?”

Katria sighed as she looked at Cadmus, temporarily stopping her pacing around their quarters. They had risen early and the both of them were already washed, dressed and ready for the exhibition, even though the opening ceremony for the event was still two hours away. Cadmus had managed to get them some comfortable formal wear for the occasion, but right now, she wanted her armor more than ever just to feel safe.

Her lover was sitting at the table, enjoying a plate of breakfast that had been brought up to their room. It was quite the delicious-looking breakfast too, consisting of braided bread, butter, goat cheese, honey and cooked eggs, with fruit squeezings to wash it down. In any other case, she would have eaten the meal with gusto, but right now, her stomach felt like it was filled with rocks.

Cadmus looked at her untouched plate, then back at her. “Katria…”

She sighed again. “I know I should, Cadmus, but I’m just too anxious…”

She could practically feel her stomach doing somersaults as she said it. It was humiliating. After everything she went through… After a near-death experience and excruciating recovery, exploring dangerous ruins, maneuvering through traps and facing down terrifying foes that included a dragon and two Dwarven Centurion Masters, the thing that currently scared her out of her mind more than anything else was the fact that in a few hours, she would have to go downstairs and meet a whole bunch of people.

Today was the day. After a whole week of preparing from dawn to dusk, the exhibition of her work would be held in the Dwemer Museum.

It had not been an easy task. Organizing the exhibition had required some drastic remodeling of the museum itself and she had been on her feet for days to organize her corner, which would display the Aetherial Crown, the Forgemaster’s Dynamo Core, the stone slab with the names of the four Dwemer city-states that worked on the Forge, and a scale model of the Aetherium Forge based on her sketches that had been built by the blacksmith siblings Ghorza gra-Bagol and Moth gro-Bagol. Accompanying the main items on display were some of the smaller artifacts they’d found, along with several large, framed versions of her best illustrations of Dwemer artifacts and technology.

She and Calcelmo made sure the new exhibit went well with the rest of the museum, and in addition to the physical preparations for the event, he and Aicantar had also coached her on meeting with the guests, as well as how to respond to them and answer their questions. Like her, he admitted he hated that part of his work as a scholar, but he was determined she did well and the Nord woman was thankful for his care.

Cadmus had made himself useful as well, taking care of all the invitations to all the important guests and even riding out to personally convince several of them to attend. In addition to offering useful suggestions when it came to the logistics and scheduling of the event, he was also responsible for retrieving Dwemer scrap metal from Nchuand-Zel for the scale replica of the Forge. He had even helped with the heavy physical labor of remodeling the museum in preparation for setting up the new Aetherial Crown exhibit. The fact that her lover was willing to put in this much effort for her special day had touched Katria immensely. He had already done so much for her and yet here he was, still wholeheartedly supporting her in every endeavor she undertook.

Katria couldn’t be more grateful to have this kind, loving, wonderful man as her partner. By now she had given her heart to him as he had given her his, and she looked forward to the day when they could do the same with their bodies as well. While the two of them were often exhausted these past few nights due to all the planning, they still found time for intimacy. Eager to finally take their relationship further, the two of them had just enough energy left for a little bit of mutual pleasure using their hands… Or mouths, as she discovered the previous night when Cadmus had decided to try an alternative way to help her fall asleep…

Those pleasant memories made her blush and frankly, at this very moment, she’d give anything to just crawl in bed with her lover and forget about everything. That would be a whole lot better than putting herself out there in front of people who, for the time being, thought she was riding the coattails of Taron Dreth’s discoveries. It was definitely more preferable than being face-to-face with her former apprentice again, too…

Even now, she was not sure if she could manage that. If she could look the bastard in the eye and actually keep her cool, especially if he had the gall to mock her or worse, play at being friends. Calcelmo had urged her with every part of his being to do so, but part of her wasn’t even sure she wanted to. After all he’d done to her, after all the pain and humiliation she had endured because of his betrayal… the only thing she wanted to do was to take out her Nordic daggers and stick the blades between his ribs.

The bitterness was evident in her voice. “I just… I can’t bear the thought of seeing that backstabbing bastard again.”

Cadmus caught on to her rising anger, but wasn’t swayed. “I know, Katria. But that’s why you should eat at least a little. It’s going to be stressful down there, a battle in its own right. You can’t fight battles on an empty stomach.”

She watched how he cut some of the bread, buttered it and put some on her plate. “Have at least a few bites, alright? You’ll need your strength.”

Part of her wanted him to drop it, but knowing that he was genuinely concerned for her wellbeing, she decided the least she could do was to accept his offering. Besides, her anger wasn’t directed at him, anyway. She sat down at the table, nibbling on the piece of bread her lover had set out for her. The moment some food went through her throat, however, her body actually seemed to realize she hadn’t had any breakfast yet and her appetite quickly returned. Without realizing it, some more slices of buttered bread, an egg and a few blocks of cheese covered in honey had disappeared into her mouth as well. The next thing she knew, she had finished her entire plate and had washed it all down with freshly squeezed fruit juice. Needless to say, she was feeling a lot better now that she had something in her stomach.

Cadmus noticed her improved mood and smiled. “Better?”

She smiled at him sheepishly as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Lots. Thanks for convincing me to eat. And being patient with me… Sorry if I’m a bit of a nervous wreck right now…”

The Imperial shook his head. “Well, most people would be in your situation. And that’s not even counting an old archnemesis. But that’s why Calcelmo, Aicantar and I are here. He can’t touch you. We’ll make sure of it. _I’ll_ make sure of it.”

She sucked in a breath, leaning back in her chair. She knew he meant it. After all, he had been looking out for her ever since that day he walked into Arkngthamz. That almost felt like a lifetime ago now and she never would’ve imagined that the man who saved her that day would be more than just a friendly stranger passing by. Nor that he would lead her here, to this very moment, where perhaps a lifetime of being ridiculed and dismissed would finally be at its end.

“Thank you…”

Cadmus looked up as he neatly piled their empty plates. “Thank you for what, Katria?”

She learned forward on her arms. “For everything… I know, just saying ‘thank you’ won’t quite cover it, but… I’m here because of _you_. I’m here because you saved me. And because you chose to fight for me, time and time again. You made all of this possible… And you don’t quite know how much that means to me, nor do I think I can ever put it into words…”

Cadmus didn’t immediately respond. He simply stopped what he was doing, looking her up and down, as if he were assessing every little word. It made her feel extremely vulnerable and yet, she knew she would never take it back. It needed to be said. He needed to understand.

Suddenly, he put the remaining plates down and walked around the table. He moved to her side and lovingly stroked the hair out of her face. He then kneeled down and kissed her on the lips.

Her lover smiled. “I am glad I went to Arkngthamz when I did and managed to save you. Just like how I’m glad we met again before you left Whiterun. You’re an incredible person, Katria, and every day, I’m glad to have you by my side. You have no idea just how much you mean to me…”

The look on his face said it all. He meant every single word of it. She could tell that he did. Still, his sincerity made her feel warm all over. Even now, she couldn’t get enough of the fact that he put his appreciation and affection for her into words and she hoped he would never stop.

The Nord woman couldn’t help but tease him gently. “Ever the romantic, sweet-talking Imperial, aren’t you?”

He grinned, not insulted at all. “Yes, but you like me that way.”

She laughed, leaning in for another kiss and he gladly obliged. Katria could only smile as he ran his tongue over her lips, seeking entrance, and feeling like she needed his affection more than ever, she happily let him. Within seconds, she found herself pulling back a little, before getting off the chair and pulling him to his feet, kissing him again. She reached up to hold his face, her own tongue eagerly exploring his mouth. She pressed herself against his strong chest, tightly wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. She reveled in the fact that she could feel his full body against her, pleasantly warm and without the usual barrier of heavy armor, and in that moment, the daunting situation downstairs was quickly forgotten.

Good. Let it be that way. She wanted to forget it, if only for a little while, and she knew just the kind of distraction she needed right now…

The Imperial seemed a little confused as she suddenly grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards the bed. “Katria, we have an exhibition to att—”

She shook her head, not in the mood for any such arguments right now. “We have two more hours. Let’s make the most of it.”

Briefly, it seemed like he was going to protest again, but that all changed as she gently eased him onto the mattress and crawled on top of him to kiss him once more. He happily reciprocated, and any doubts about his willingness were quickly dispelled as he put his tongue into play again. Katria did the same, moaning in the kiss as her own tongue wrestled against his, all while her hands tenderly caressed his chest and sides. Not wanting to waste any time, she impatiently started to unbuckle his belt and undo the fastenings on his doublet.

Her hands quickly found their way under his loosened clothes and she felt a jolt of excitement as she ran them over the bare skin, feeling the scars and the muscles underneath that she had become oh so familiar with. Wanting even more, she opened up the garment completely, exposing his chest and abdomen. Her lips curled into a smirk when she was met with the sight of her lover’s body, his powerful physique coming into full view and further accelerating the feelings of desire that were currently running through her core. He tensed up a little at her touch, but soon relaxed again as he reached out to squeeze her rear and began kissing her neck.

Katria moaned softly at the attention. Cadmus had already proven himself to be an amazing lover and he enjoyed giving her pleasure as much as he liked receiving it. He was always gentle with her, always making sure not to go too far and keeping her comfort in mind. As she continued to kiss and caress him, her thoughts went back to the events of the previous night. An image flashed in her mind of herself lying naked on the same bed, her legs resting on his shoulders as he masterfully made use of his tongue and fingers. She grew red at the memory of how he lavished his attention on her, how he made her toes curl with his ministrations and caused her to see stars when he brought her over the edge… If Cadmus could already make her feel so good with so little, then she was very excited to find out what actually making love to him was like. She couldn’t wait to at last go all the way, to become one with this wonderful man and finally claim him all for her own.

She leaned down and gave her lover yet another passionate kiss, only to move to his jaw, and then his neck, steadily moving downwards until she reached his collarbone. From there, she trailed further down, pressing her lips against the skin and planting kisses on his chest and stomach, as well as languidly tracing the scars with her tongue. His heavy breathing made it clear that he was already tense with anticipation and as she continued her descent, she could sense the physical signs of his eagerness as well.

She shamelessly reached out to cup his growing bulge, stroking him through his trousers. She started out gently, but gradually began to apply more force and pick up the pace, which earned a hiss from him in the process. Cadmus threw his head back against the pillows and he seemed to be fighting not to buck against her hand as she caressed him. Katria could only chuckle softly, giving him another soft squeeze in return as she noted with satisfaction that, even through the fabric, he was growing harder under her touch. That suited her just fine. They’d have plenty of time for actual romance and seduction later. At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to have him fully and forget all about what awaited her downstairs.

It seemed Cadmus was thinking the same thing. The Nord woman didn’t protest at all as the Imperial reached up and started to remove her clothes as well, opening the jacket and undoing the bindings on her breasts. She sighed as he started to fondle them, his hands pleasantly warm and his thumbs rubbing across her hardened nipples. Instinctively, she started to grind her hips against his erection, eliciting a low moan from her lover. By now, his manhood was straining against its confines and she impatiently started to tug at the waistband of his pants, determined to get to what she wanted most…

“Katria?”

The sudden sound of her name being called out by someone other than Cadmus had her jump. Immediately, she snatched her jacket and held it closed, looking over her shoulder. Her expression quickly turned into one of sheer mortification as she saw Calcelmo standing in the doorway.

The Elven mage blinked for a bit. “Oh… I was going to ask if you could come down. We’re about to place the crown in its encasement and wanted your approval on the final layout. But I’ll give you two a moment… If you could head down to the museum in ten minutes, that would be great. Now… ahem… if you’ll excuse me…”

Before either she or Cadmus could wring out a very embarrassed response, he had turned around and left again, calmly sauntering out the door and closing it behind him. This left the two of them staring at each other, the air between them heavy with disappointment and shame. Katria let out a deep sigh.

“Well, the day is already starting out well… Seems like the Divines are very intent on keeping you from me… And scarring my colleague for life...”

It came out more sarcastically than she intended and she felt rather annoyed when her lover responded with a laugh. “What’s so funny, Cadmus?”

He shook his head. “I doubt Calcelmo will be too traumatized. He is old enough not to be a stranger to the facts of life. Besides, it’s nothing he and Faleen haven’t done countless times already.”

For a moment, Katria was certain he was pulling her leg. “Wait, you mean he… and the Jarl’s housecarl… They’re…?”

The Imperial smirked. “Oh yes. Definitely.”

At that moment, Katria didn’t know what gave her greater reason to glare— that her lover took their interrupted intimacy so calmly and nonchalantly, or the fact that she had just been given insight into Calcelmo’s love life, which quite frankly was information she never wanted to know… Still, she couldn’t stay mad at Cadmus for long as he gave her another loving kiss, before gently easing her off him and nudging her back.

“Maybe you should head downstairs first. It’ll take a while for _this_ to settle down…”

This prompted the Nord woman to look below his waist again. Her lover was still very much aroused in spite of the interruption, his manhood now straining against the fabric of his trousers. It looked quite tight and uncomfortable from where she was sitting, and even harder to ignore, so it was understandable that he didn’t yet want to go and meet with other people in his current state.

Of course, there was another way to take care of it that was much quicker… and far more enjoyable.

She gave him a suggestive look. “Or I can help you take care of it right now…”

Cadmus furrowed his brows in response. “Calcelmo said he wants us down at the museum in ten minutes.”

Now it was her turn to grin, as she unbuttoned his pants and freed him from his confines, gripping him firmly but gently as she lowered her face to his level. She smiled as she looked him straight in the eye and noticed how he was blushing, clearly realizing just what she was planning to do. With a soft chuckle, she planted a light kiss on his lower abdomen as her hand began to move up and down.

“That’s right. Ten minutes is plenty of time. Now… let me return the favor from last night…”

* * *

Katria proved to be a woman of her word. Ten minutes later, she and Cadmus were in the Dwemer museum, clean, dressed and presentable, all while sporting large grins on their faces. Calcelmo thankfully just gave them a knowing look, but said nothing else. Instead, his attention was solely on the exhibition and he asked her for direction in putting the final touches on it all.

The whole thing had been organized in exquisite detail. The entire exhibition blended seamlessly onto what was already there, with each display naturally leading towards the other, piecing together the riveting story of the Aetherium Forge. All the plaques carried just the right amount of information to be educational, but not so much that it became boring. The miniature of the Forge made by Moth and Ghorza was exquisite in its detail, to the point that even the magma behind the machine looked eerily real. And at the center of it all was the Aetherial Crown, firmly bolted down and protected not only by a physical glass and steel enclosure, but also by a combination of intricate spells and enchantments, so any attempts of theft would be impossible.

To her, it was like the image from a dream, something she never thought she would ever see in her lifetime.

Calcelmo seemed to concur. “I must say, this is easily one of the finest exhibitions we have been able to host in this museum, if not the finest.”

His happy, excited tone made it clear that he was completely sincere. Even now, she wasn’t sure if he knew how that made her feel. After so many years of being told her work was worthless and insignificant, it meant the world to know there was someone out there who appreciated it. To whom her discoveries were as important as they were to her. And if he were right, he would not be the only one…

That very moment, Aicantar walked up to them. “Uncle, Katria… Everything is ready. Good thing, too. People are gathering at the keep, with our invitations on them. I think I’ve seen at least fifty.”

That remark was enough to shake the Nord woman out of her rosy dream state. Fifty? Fifty people showing up in Markarth, just to come see her discovery? That was far more than she had expected, especially for a small private viewing. It underlined just how significant all of this was… and just how many people would be walking in to size her up and determine her worth.

Again, the nerves were back, but just as her frantic mind thought about running back up to her quarters and hiding underneath the covers, Calcelmo grabbed her hand. “Don’t be scared, my dear. You made this discovery. No one in the world can tell as much about the Aetherium Forge as you. This is your moment. No one can change that. Try to enjoy it as much as you can.”

His words were gentle and encouraging and much to her surprise, they calmed her. This was helped as she felt Cadmus wrap his arms around her waist from behind. He kissed her temple and gave her a smile.

“He is right, you know. You’ve worked twenty years for this. And after today, no one can possibly deny what you’ve done. What I saw you do. We’ll make sure of it.”

She leaned into him, desperate to feel his comforting warmth. Once again, he was setting out to protect her, even when there were no dragons, or Dwarven automatons, or Chaurus Hunters, or life threatening injuries. It gave her strength to know he would. Ever since that fateful day in The Reach, he had refused to leave her to her fate. He wasn’t abandoning her now either.

It was the final push she needed. “Alright… I’m ready…”

Aicantar, who had watched the whole thing, nodded. “Good. Shall we go out and meet them then? Give a little introduction speech? I’m sure they would like a taste of the event already.”

She and Calcelmo exchanged glances and with that final bit of confirmation, they headed towards the door to the museum. As they walked through and stood at the top of the stairs, Katria found herself looking over a small sea of people. For a moment, she could do nothing but just stand and stare, but her fellow scholar thankfully picked up the slack.

With possibly centuries of experience in this sort of thing, he called the attention of the group. He welcomed them, thanked them for coming and summarized the exhibition they would see. Then, he stepped aside to let her do the talking. Katria took over like clockwork, telling them that they would be given an hour for viewing the exhibition, after which she would do a reading and demonstration of her discovery. She mentioned that there would be complimentary snacks and drinks during the open floor portion of the event, to which many of the guests responded quite enthusiastically. Afterwards, she wished them all a wonderful time and officially opened the museum. The crowd was eager to get in and within moments, everyone was inside.

Even now, the Nord woman was impressed, astonished even. While she had hoped some people would come, the turnout was far greater than expected… and more diverse as well. A few of them were apparently just close friends of Calcelmo and Aicantar, but the majority were people in her field or those who at least had a vested interest in Dwemer technology. There were scholars, adventurers and heralds, esteemed publishers and writers. Several prominent blacksmiths had shown up from all over the province, including Eorlund Gray-Mane himself, and even a few Jarls and Thanes. Cadmus could even recognize countless members of the College of Winterhold. Never before had she seen so many different people mingle, but her giddiness quickly disappeared when she spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

It seemed that, at that exact moment, Taron had spotted her as well. Almost immediately, he walked over, arrogance dripping off every step, and Katria found herself fighting not to just throttle him then and there. Her lover seemed to sense it too, as he quickly grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently.

“He’ll try to get under your skin. Don’t let him. Words are wind, Katria, and his are less than a fart.”

That last remark immediately had her break into a smile, one that Taron unfortunately noticed as he closed in. “Well, you seem pleased with yourself, Katria.”

The underlying mockery was evident, but like the Imperial suggested, she ignored it. “Well, I have a good reason to be, Taron. Not all Dwemer scholars get to exhibit their findings at the Dwemer Museum. That includes some with great theories as well.”

Taron breathed in so sharply he practically snorted. Katria, meanwhile, was proud at how placid her own expression remained. She supposed that spending time with Cadmus had rubbed off on her a little, especially when it came to knowing how to use words in the most effective way possible. Unfortunately, her remark didn’t sting as long as she would’ve liked.

“Ah yes, the trailblazers rarely get the glory now, don’t they? Still, I suppose I can’t complain. I got a successful book, generous funding for my research and overall a nice, comfortable life. I doubt I could spend twenty years doing what you did, but I suppose not all people are equal.”

Even she was surprised how easily her response came. “I suppose not. Some of us prefer to brave danger and go into the unknown for knowledge. Others prefer the safety of their studies to draw information from those who came before us. That’s just the way of the world, I guess.”

Again, she swore that she could see him seethe under his friendly veneer. A surge of satisfaction went through her at that knowledge. Good. Let him get angry. She was no longer going to. She was done screaming, crying and begging for justice. Today, she was not stooping to his wretched level.

He seemed to notice as he laughed and responded with a barb she barely felt. “Alas, such is the world.”

At that moment, one of the many servers Calcelmo had arranged for came walking by and offered them something to drink. Katria happily obliged, picking up a tiny Dwemer goblet of mead mixed with nectar and taking a sip. Cadmus helped himself to wine with snowberry juice and Taron seemed to grumble about the lack of sujamma before settling for a small ale. After a few sips, he opened his mouth again, likely either to pry for information or spew more bile, when another voice was heard.

“Ah, I see the two former rivals are talking, at least. That is already a step up.”

In any other situation, Katria might have cringed. Still, just like Calcelmo predicted, the publishers of _The Aetherium Wars_ had apparently dragged themselves here as well from their hole in Markarth. Immediately, she locked eyes with a blonde Nord woman, the same one who had so cruelly dismissed her claims that Taron had stolen her work. She could make out three other people she remembered from that day as well: a fat, boisterous male Nord with an unkempt auburn beard, a surly male Breton with long, greasy black hair, and a loudmouthed, skinny male Redguard with curly hair. Katria immediately recognized the unpleasant quartet behind this particular publisher— unimaginatively named _Stone City Publishing House_ — and even now, she clearly remembered how they had mocked her, insulted her character and claimed terrible things about her for even raising the issue.

Katria would’ve loved to wring all their necks, but instead, she greeted them calmly. “This is an exhibition, not a melee. Even rivals are expected to be civilized in museums.”

The Breton smiled. “My, what a change of attitude there, Katria. A far cry from the uncouth, judgmental Nord that stormed in and accused one of our writers of heinous acts. Here’s hoping that’s the start of a lasting change.”

Katria shrugged. “People can always change and learn. I have changed my attitude towards things a lot recently. Perhaps it will bring me somewhere.”

The Nord man laughed, completely and thankfully missing her intent. “Who knows? I mean, if this exhibition is good enough, we may offer you a place in our publishing house as well. Earned on your own merits. That is, if this show of humility and tolerance proves to be more than an act.”

Inwardly, Katria quietly contemplated the merit of flinging her mead into his face. When she had gone to the publishing house with her accusation, Dreth’s race had never even been brought up. She had talked about him as any other person and her only issue with her former apprentice was that he had stolen from her. Yet these enlightened, cosmopolitan souls, none of them born in Skyrim apparently, had decided that Windhelm was the one city that truly represented Nord sentiments everywhere. So if a lower class Nord woman accused a well-bred Dunmer of being a thief, it _had_ to be based on hatred against his kind and nothing else.

And then, she didn’t even want to go into all the insults regarding her background and education… Though to be fair, thinking about those at least brought her to one important conclusion. These cretins were not worth wasting her mead over.

So she plastered on another smile. “Well, I suppose actions mean more than words there. I would say I have changed, but perhaps you should ask my associates for this exhibition. Calcelmo and Aicantar are hard to miss. Feel free to talk to them if you have the time.”

The quartet seemed immensely pleased and the Redguard spoke, looking at Taron almost reverently. “Oh, we will. So Taron, let us go see this exhibition then. See if Katria’s work truly adds something to yours.”

Taron obliged, giving her one last feigned friendly nod. “Yes, let’s. After all, it might be a tall order. Until the demonstration, Katria.”

She simply gave him a nod in return and as the band of miscreants walked off, she took a few deep breaths to regain her calmness. Immediately, she felt Cadmus’s hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently to calm her. She looked at him with a wry smile.

“So that was Taron Dreth. And the people who made him famous.”

Cadmus snorted. “Well, he’s everything you described and more. As for his handlers, well… They kind of defy description, don’t they?”

The Nord woman rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

The two took a moment to enjoy their drinks, though Katria wished they hadn’t been watered down with fruit juice to prevent drunkenness at the museum. She just prayed that the remaining alcohol would help her tolerate these people at her event. As they looked across the rest of the exhibition, however, they saw how most of the people present were milling about with excitement and amazement. The scale model of the Aetherium Forge was a favorite, and quite a few guests admired her framed illustrations, but most of them were gathered around the Aetherial Crown, clearly transfixed by its beauty.

The Imperial pulled her out of her reverie. “You did good, by the way. He tried to bait you and you didn’t bite. I’m proud of you.”

She chuckled. “Well, how does the saying go again? ‘Don’t wrestle a pig. You’ll both get covered in mud, but the pig will actually love it’.”

Her lover grinned. “You almost sound like an Imperial.”

She simply grinned back in response, not at all insulted. “Well, I’ve spent enough time with one to pick up some tricks. And I’m currently hoping one of them will work like I’ve planned…”

The small laugh Cadmus let out sounded practically evil. “I’m sure they will talk to your esteemed colleagues. Though I doubt they will like what they hear.”

Some more mead found its way through Katria’s throat. “Good. The truth isn’t always nice.”

She looked at her now empty goblet and happily handed it off to another server who offered to take it. “Anyway, I’m going to have a walk around. See if anyone has questions before the demonstration. Or wants to chat with a previously unknown scholar in general.”

Her lover gave her an understanding nod. “Go ahead. I’ll be sticking around as well. See if I can pick up on anything interesting, maybe speak to some old friends. If you need me for anything, give me a holler.”

With that assurance, Katria left him to his own devices and walked back into the crowd. Hardly had she done so, however, when she found herself stopped by a mage. He introduced himself as Arniel Gane from the College of Winterhold and excitedly started questioning her about Aetherium and the magical properties she had gleaned from it. The next thing she knew, the two of them were locked in a thrilling discussion about the qualities of Aetherium, what exactly the plane of Aetherius was, and whether or not it was involved in the disappearance of the Dwemer.

He was not the only one looking for a meaningful, scientific discussion with her. A man claiming to be the famed writer Herbane Sorenshield was eager to know about the Forgemaster and in what ways it differed from the other Dwarven automatons he had seen. Katria was mostly just surprised that the seemingly elusive writer seemed to exist at all, but he was affable enough and she had a fun time regaling him with illustrations of the large automaton, as well as explaining its workings.

After that, she was stopped by several blacksmiths, including the famed Eorlund Gray-Mane himself. While his expertise lay with Nord steel from the Skyforge, he seemed immensely interested to learn of other forges that gave weapons and armor unusual properties. This led to an extensive talk about the Aetherium Forge and its advanced workings, as well as any possible connections it could have to both the Skyforge and Lunar Forge.

She was also addressed by a Khajiit named Dahnasi, which surprised her as she had never seen a Khajiit within the city walls before. Dahnasi explained that she worked for the Black Horse Courier, the most popular newspaper in Tamriel which was based in the Imperial City in Cyrodiil. She politely asked if she was willing to provide some quotes and do a short interview, to which Katria happily obliged. She explained all she could, making sure to keep it simple and interesting for the average reader, and Dahnasi seemed very pleased by the end of it.

All in all, Katria had to admit that the whole thing was going quite well. It was clear that everyone here was at least interested in Dwemer-related topics and asked questions not to corner her, but to further their own knowledge. Knowledge she could easily provide, having been a scholar on the topic for twenty years. She was beginning to enjoy herself and judging by the atmosphere in the space, so did everyone else.

“Excuse me, Katria? May I have a word?”

The Nord woman turned and was surprised when she found herself face to face with a Dunmer. For a second, she thought Taron was back to bother her, but a second glance made it obvious that this one was, in fact, female. She smiled at her and held out her hand.

“My name is Sheriah Sadras. I represent Tully and Partners, a publishing house in Solitude. Your friend Calcelmo invited us here.”

The moment the female Elf mentioned Calcelmo’s name, Katria perked up in recognition. Calcelmo had indeed mentioned that he would invite his publisher from Solitude to this event, as well as working with a woman there whose surname was Sadras. No doubt, this was her then.

She shook her hand. “Your company published _Dwarves_ Volumes I to III, right? It’s nice to meet you.”

Her recognition delighted the Dunmer. “Exactly, and likewise. So, could I speak to you for a moment?”

Katria nodded and Sheriah motioned her to a more quiet part of the exhibition. “First of all, I want to tell you that this entire exhibition is magnificent. We have discovered a lot about the Dwemer over the last few eras, but uncovering something everyone had considered lost for thousands of years and documenting it this thoroughly… Why, it’s just remarkable. And it’s not just me saying that. If your discoveries manage to impress someone like Calcelmo, you have done something right as a scholar.”

The Nord woman felt a small swell of pride at that. “Thank you.”

Sheriah laughed. “Don’t thank me. You did all the work. So, let’s get to the point. I’ve been watching you go around here and heard you talk to people. You are good. Thorough. Detailed. Compelling. Passionate. You manage to take these concepts and explain them in such a way others can easily understand. That is an admirable skill that not all scholars have.”

She stopped for a moment to grab a tiny goblet of brandy off a server’s tray. “As you may have guessed from us working with Calcelmo, our publishing house specializes in scientific and educational material. History, biology, smithing, magic, warcraft, you name it. Needless to say, Dwemer metallurgy would fit that perfectly. So I was wondering whether you would be interested in writing a book about your findings...”

At that very moment, Katria almost wondered if she had already drunk too much. This woman, from an established and respected publishing house, was genuinely willing to take a chance on her? A longtime scholar who had languished in obscurity, based on one exhibition alone?

Suddenly, her mind was back with Staubin and the many praises he had heaped onto her during her years as his student. With Cadmus, who loved listening to her stories, even if he couldn’t always grasp the full science of it. With Calcelmo and Aicantar, who had treated her with nothing but respect and admiration, claiming she could change the world. They were a handful of encouraging voices in what had been a sea of rejection all her life. And even though they had threatened to be drowned out this morning by the ghosts of her past, it was now clear to her that there were in fact people who cared about both her and her work.

So here she was, showing her discovery to the world, and someone deemed it good enough that it needed to be written about. Not just for scholars, but for the world at large. Her work was deemed valuable. Her knowledge was deemed valuable. Even now, that was a reality she could hardly cope with. After a lifetime of rejection, it seemed things were finally starting to fall into place…

Taken aback, she tried to form the words to respond, only for another voice to interrupt her.

“Well, who is this fine kinswoman you’re talking to, Katria?”

Whatever happiness Katria felt was instantly vaporized when she saw Dreth approach once more. He was walking with a swagger now and despite the question, he was not even looking at her. Before either of them could respond, he had stepped in-between them to face Sheriah and introduced himself.

“Greetings, sera. My name’s Taron Dreth. World’s foremost expert in Dwemer metallurgy and the one who originally came up with the theory of the Aetherium Forge. Katria and I have been colleagues and friends for many years.”

Just like that, the Nord woman could feel an unbridled rage course through her veins again. For a moment, she had forgotten the damned thief was even here. But of course, he couldn’t actually stand by and let her be happy for once and get the credit she deserved. He had to find a way to ruin it, to push her aside and snatch away anything she might have ever wanted.

She could only stand there and watch as he grabbed Sheriah’s hand in a courteous gesture. The two-faced bastard could act like the perfect gentleman when he wanted to, though from her perspective, he looked more like a parody of a peacock. Still, it had fooled people before, including her, and knowing how hostile Skyrim could be to Dunmer, an appeal to kinship might be all that it took. All that was needed to once again yank her world out from under her.

“I know who you are, Taron.”

Sheriah’s voice cut through the air, sharp and measured. There was something in it that was unusual and had her stand straight to pay attention. Taron, however, seemed oblivious.

“You do?”

The female Dunmer calmly looked him in the eye as she moved her hand away. “Yes, and I do not appreciate you stepping in to interrupt my conversation with your colleague. Please leave us be.”

The muscles in Katria’s jaw twitched to keep it from falling open. She stared, almost vacuously, as Sheriah stared him down with cool, almost contemptuous detachment and Taron started to rapidly deflate. The look on his face was priceless and for a moment, she wondered if this was the first time in his life he’d ever outright heard the word “no”.

“I beg your pardon?”

The female Dunmer reiterated. “You are being very rude. Both towards Katria and myself. I don’t need to tolerate that, especially not from a kinsman. So please, step aside and entertain yourself until we have conducted our business.”

Even now, Dreth didn’t get the message. “My apologies. It was not my intention to be impolite. I merely thought I could weigh in on this conversation. After all, _I_ first posited the theory about the Forge’s existence and…”

By now, harshness started to seep into Sheriah’s voice. “You thought wrong. And you may have been the first to write about the Aetherium Forge, but it is Katria who found it. This is _her_ work and her exhibition. I wish to talk to her privately and your input is neither required nor desired. Now, I once again kindly ask you to leave us to our conversation.”

The Nord woman simply stood there, not believing her eyes and ears. So far, she had managed to keep her head and not spew any of the venom Taron so deserved. Yet to hear someone else openly voice her contempt and disdain for him, and another Dunmer to boot, was easily one of the most shocking and most satisfying things she had witnessed. It was poetry in motion and the fact that Dreth looked as if he was stabbed elevated it to pure beauty.

Finally, he got the point. “Right. I shall take my leave then. We will speak later, I’m sure.”

Those words finally marked his exit. Katria watched him go, noting that he now looked less like a strutting peacock and more like a whipped dog. It was petty, perhaps, but it felt like a small victory and she quietly enjoyed it.

“Scum-sucking fetcher…”

The female Dunmer said it under her breath, but the Nord woman still caught it and it made her curious. “Do you and Taron have a bad history?”

Sheriah scoffed. “You could say that. This may be terrible for me to say since he is your friend and colleague, but he is bad news. Just like most Dreths out there, really. Not all, as I happen to know some of the white sheep too, but most of them are nasty cretins. They think the world is theirs because their coffers aren’t entirely empty and smaller officials owe them some favors. Bullies and criminals, the majority of them, who value throwing their weight around more than any honest work. And at Tully and Partners, we’ve had quite the experience with Taron personally.”

Now, Katria’s interest was truly piqued. “Oh?”

The Dark Elf was practically eager to talk. “Apparently, we were his first choice to publish _The Aetherium Wars_. Funny really, since we make far less money than the Stone City Publishing House, but I guess he liked the prestige. We turned him down.”

That revelation stunned her. “What? Why?”

Sheriah shrugged. “Well, to be honest, his work wasn’t up to our standards. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t terrible. There are a lot of good things in there. But it just felt… incomplete. Almost like it was a first draft, where a lot of research and revising still needed to be done. So we sent him a polite rejection letter, even mentioning those points and suggesting he’d re-submit after some thorough changes, and thought that would be the end of it. We were wrong.”

Knowing what Taron was capable of at this point, Katria cringed. “Do I want to know?”

A deep sigh was her answer. “He stormed into our publishing house and threatened us. Intimidated the receptionist for a meeting until she was in tears. Said we were witless peasants, who couldn’t recognize quality research if it slapped us in the face. When we stood by our points, he claimed he was going to make us regret it, implying violence or financial ruin. We had him escorted off the premises. Needless to say, that incident ensured no one there wanted to work with him. This was only enforced when the Dreth family started harassing us with countless angry letters. We needed the intervention of the court in Solitude to make them stop.”

At this point, the Nord woman could only gape. “Shor’s beard…”

Sheriah gave her a sad look. “I’m sorry if this may upset you. I mean, you two apparently get along, but we have enough bad experiences with him that we consider him a liability. We would love to work with you, but I can understand if you might see a conflict of interest.”

At that moment, Katria wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth. To drop the veil and tell her that Taron Dreth was a thief and charlatan who was not her friend, who got his fame over her back and that she wouldn’t even piss on him if he was on fire. If there was one person among these guests who would believe that, it was definitely this Dunmer.

Still, she then remembered Calcelmo’s words and thought better of it. Accusing Taron of being a terrible person was well and good, but that was still only her word. It was even better to actually _prove_ it.

As such, she kept her mouth shut and smiled. “Well, the offer you made is great and I feel you would treat any work of mine with the respect it deserves. It’s just… It is very sudden and I have a lot on my mind right now. Allow me to think about it for a bit?”

Sheriah smiled, showing no sign of disappointment or annoyance. “Not a problem. We can always discuss it again later. Now, don’t let me keep you from your glory any longer. I’m sure many more would like to talk to you today.”

The Dunmer gave her a polite nod of the head, before walking off, seemingly to track down some more brandy and erase some bad memories. At least, Katria liked to think that. She didn’t get to dwell on that little fantasy for long, as she soon found Cadmus walking her way. He smiled as he handed her another tiny goblet of mead, meanwhile sipping on some more wine himself.

“Not sure what went on there, but it definitely looked compelling.”

Katria took the mead and leaned close as if to kiss him, only to quickly whisper in his ear. “Taron has some bad blood with Calcelmo’s publisher. Serious bad blood. To the point they no longer want to work with him.”

A clearly feigned look of shock was her response. “What? Taron Dreth, world’s foremost expert on Dwarven metallurgy and thief of theories, has created bad blood? Say it isn’t so…”

She only barely bit back a laugh. “So, what brings my handsome Imperial back to my side?”

He moved a little closer. “I bring interesting tidings…”

Instinctively, she leaned into him, making them look like a loving couple rather than the outright conspirators they were right now. “Do tell.”

Her lover was only happy to. “Dreth’s publishers have talked to Calcelmo and Aicantar. Naturally, they valued the opinion of ‘actual Elves’ in your life. Their words, not mine. Your colleagues answered politely and truthfully, though with a good helping of praise. And then, Calcelmo’s connection to Taron came up...”

He took another sip of his wine. “I must say I have never seen a group of people get so nervous so fast. Calcelmo was brutal in his simplicity. No anger. No accusations. Just calmly and cheerfully talked about his personal experiences with Taron and, based on what you just said, those of the publishing house. He showed your work a lot, but only to underline your brilliance of course, and was casually making conversation about how similar your styles were at one point. Oh, and how Taron’s recent work has come a long way from The Aetherium Wars. Not just in style, but in handwriting as well.”

If she had gotten away with it, Katria would’ve laughed with vicious glee. “Aicantar must have had a hard time containing himself.”

Cadmus shrugged. “Oh, he did alright. He had fun innocently pointing out all the obvious gaps in the book and how very little evidence for the Aetherium Forge was actually written in the pages.”

The image of that alone was enough to make her happy. “So, anything else?”

“Well, the guests seem to be having a good time. They love the exhibition and it seems to get a lot of discussions going. The mages probably already have an entire volume of notes. I did notice Taron Dreth trying to insert himself into several of these conversations. After all, he is ‘the foremost expert in Dwemer metallurgy’. But it seems like he’s tolerated at best and ignored or told off at worst. Last I saw him, he was sulking and drinking with his worshippers— I mean, publishers.”

Katria quietly soaked up this information. As much as she didn’t show it, she was relieved. The thing she feared the most about allowing Taron to come here was that he would actually manage to upstage her yet again and take credit for her work once more. It was immensely good to know, however, that this community of scholars wasn’t so easily taken with him as most people.

Contentedly, she finished off the rest of her drink, while Cadmus did the same. “So, the demonstration will take place soon. Are you ready?”

She nodded. “More than ready. I wonder though, whether all guests will feel the same.”

A hint of a smirk appeared on his face at her remark. She couldn’t blame him. After all, this wasn’t just going to be about her debut as a prominent Dwemer scholar…

Just then, she saw Aicantar stride her way. “There you are, Katria. It’s almost time.”

Leaning upwards and planting one final kiss on Cadmus’s lips, she walked with Aicantar towards her exhibit space. The younger Altmer seemed absolutely thrilled and frankly, so was she. All earlier nerves were now gone.

She was going to shine today.

* * *

It was a quarter past noon and the time for Katria’s presentation of her work had arrived. Calcelmo was already waiting for her in front of her exhibit. The mage gave her an intent look, one she returned confidently. The older Altmer took it as his cue and got everyone’s attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you had a wonderful time browsing the exhibition. But now, I would like your attention. My esteemed colleague, Katria, will talk to you about her findings, then perform a demonstration on the scale replica of the Aetherium Forge. Afterwards, there shall be a round of questions.”

A small round of applause was her reward and she smiled. “Thank you, Calcelmo. And thank you to all of you for coming. It pleases me to see that so many of you have come to hear me ramble about crystals.”

That remark got her a little laugh from the crowd, though it showed they were paying attention, and she continued. “First, I will make sure we are all on the same page by establishing the basics. What is Aetherium? Why was a special forge created to smelt it? And most importantly, why is it so significant to the Dwemer clans of Skyrim?”

By now, everyone was listening, so she started. She explained how Aetherium was a crystal with unique magical properties and was possibly a conduit to the power of Aetherius itself. She explained how that ethereal quality seemed to render the material volatile and unsuitable for conventional forging techniques, leading to the construction of the Aetherium Forge. Lastly, she concluded with the Aetherium Wars between the Dwemer city states and how it tied into the defeat of the Dwemer by the Nords in general.

Then, she moved on towards the evidence. She gave a brief summary of all the information she had found that indicated the Forge’s existence and how city-states outside Skyrim treated it as a cautionary tale, perhaps even a myth, including those on Solstheim. However, there were some particularly ancient books, found in the depths of the oldest ruins, that spoke of the Forge as if it were common knowledge. Her breakthrough, however, came in the ruins of Mzund on Solstheim, where she had found a log by one Nevichund Stungnzalf, a female Dwemer who had apparently not only seen the Forge, but played some part in its construction, before abandoning the project to return to her home. This gave her a map to determine important locations related to the forge.

She then told them about her journey throughout the locations, though she didn’t bother mentioning the names as she indicated them on the map, to piece together the key made of pure Aetherium. All the information she found in those locations to help her determine the next place to go and that enforced the existence of the Aetherium Forge. She showed the memorial slab and inscriptions, giving a summary of each. This all led to the discovery of the Forge itself, easily her favorite part of the whole thing.

Her audience was practically captivated as she explained, to the best of her ability and using her illustrations and the miniature, what the Forge looked like and how it worked. She enlightened them about the strange mechanism with the glass containing images and commands that responded to a person's touch, likening it to an automaton in that it could “think” to a certain extent. She spoke of the magma that powered the machine, so it was a hundred times hotter than any regular forge. And how the vats contained different types of alloys, likely with the purpose of stabilizing the volatile Aetherium.

Lastly, she discussed the crown and its properties, explaining how she and Cadmus had used the Aetherium Crest to forge the item. She talked about its link to the Standing Stones and how this enforced her theory that the crystal harnessed some of the power of Aetherius itself. With the help of Calcelmo and Aicantar, she even managed to demonstrate the magical qualities, making it react to several spells to indicate its affinity with Magicka. That spectacular display concluded her demonstration and afterwards, silence returned to the Museum as she watched their reaction with her breath held.

Then, as sudden as a summer storm, applause erupted. All around her, people clapped, loudly and enthusiastically. Some of the mages even cheered. Happy, impressed and excited faces could be seen on all sides and then and there, she felt overwhelmed.

After all this, after all the pain and humiliation, she was here. Displaying her findings and telling the world about what she had discovered. Not only that, people actually wanted to hear it. They were glad to hear it. Right here, in this room, there was acceptance and the taste of it was so intense that it was intoxicating.

The applause was still going when Calcelmo finally motioned everyone to settle down. “Thank you for this wonderful talk, Katria. Now, we shall proceed to the questions. Does anyone have any?”

Naturally, several hands flew up into the air. The Nord woman composed herself and pointed towards the first. Soon, she was fielding many questions, which included the nature of Aetherium, the strange workings of the Forge and whether its technology could be replicated in the present day, and especially how she conducted her research and experiments. She answered all of these questions to the best of her ability, even acknowledging the limits of her own knowledge when there were no ready answers, but it was clear that her responses were deeply appreciated and considered more than satisfactory.

Still, she knew that one hand in the crowd didn’t quite agree. She watched how Dreth stood there, arm outstretched, with a face as if someone had dropped his dinner at a fancy inn. Envy and anger practically radiated from him and he seemed determined to speak. No doubt, he couldn’t stand not being the center of attention for once. Though Katria supposed she could fix that.

She pointed at him, encouraging him to talk. “Yes, Taron?”

The Dunmer’s expression quickly turned into one of glee. “Thank you, Katria. All of this is quite impressive. But I must ask. What motivated you to dedicate yourself to elaborating on _my_ theory?”

Even in her confident state, she could feel the stab of that comment. As it was, she could see Taron quietly smirk. Again, he was trying to provoke her. To reduce her to that angry, powerless nobody who tried to challenge him at his publishing house. Or to simply force her to say that he was superior to her. This time, however, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

She responded calmly and confidently, grinning as she spoke. “Well, that is the beautiful thing about theories, isn’t it? They aren’t defined. They’re flexible, open to change when new information is found. I think the worst thing that can be done is to develop a theory, pat yourself on the back and then never touch it again.”

She could see how that answer conjured an actual smile on the faces of the scholars in the crowd. Everyone except Dreth, who glared viciously. Still, he recovered quickly and fired off another question.

He had raised his voice slightly, his question taking on a more aggressive tone. “Still, why the Aetherium Forge? Why set yourself up for comparison with another? That is a bold thing to do and especially risky. I’m merely curious.”

For a second, Katria was stunned. Was he actually trying to threaten her? That was almost funny, if it wasn’t so despicable. She prepared to respond, only for a voice to interrupt her.

Calcelmo stepped in, giving the Dunmer a friendly smile. “Very well then, Taron, if we must compare… What is _your_ opinion on this discovery?”

Almost immediately, Taron’s entire demeanor changed. His back straightened and he turned to the crowd. His movements had the flourish of an actor on a stage and when he talked, he sounded almost bombastic.

“Well, it is immensely awe-inspiring. No doubt, we’ll be studying this crown and its properties for years, maybe even decades to come. It makes me very glad that _I_ decided to publish a book about the Forge. I feel like I have contributed to something grand. If I helped pioneer our knowledge of the Dwemer towards such discoveries, that’s a great reward in and of itself.”

The Altmer mage nodded sagely. “So what inspired _you_ to pursue the theory of the Forge?”

Sensing that he was now the center of the attention and Katria seemed forgotten, he answered readily. “Well, it started small. With inscriptions I found on my many forays into Dwemer ruins. Inscriptions talking about a special Forge. And as someone whose life blood is Dwemer forging techniques, well, it was hard to resist.”

The Altmer smiled. “I can imagine. So, what exactly was on those inscriptions at the Mount Anthor Summit?”

The Dunmer breathed in to respond, only to suddenly pause. “Come again?”

Calcelmo’s expression never changed. “In _The Aetherium Wars_ , you speak of inscriptions you first found at the Mount Anthor Summit. The ones that talk about the Forge. What did those say, exactly? I doubt they just said there was a special forge somewhere in Skyrim.”

Suddenly, Taron didn’t have an answer ready. He opened his mouth, then closed it again and for the first time since he’d come in here, Katria could see a flash of panic on his face. It was sweeter than the tastiest mead and even more so when it turned out that the con artist inside Dreth’s head could not make up a satisfying answer.

“Oh, I… Now there’s a question, Calcelmo. It’s… been a while since Mount Anthor has been on my mind. I read a lot of inscriptions for a living. The details elude me.”

There was a short silence and the Altmer seemingly gave the entire room time to stare at him incredulously, before feigning understanding. “Ah, that’s a shame. I’m sure everyone here would’ve loved to know. After all, those inscriptions led you to your greatest theory yet. Oh well… If only someone else visited the Mount Anthor Summit. I mean, I haven’t yet had the pleasure. What about you, Katria?”

Knowing exactly what he was aiming at, she replied. “I have, actually. At the summit, there’s a monument. A memorial, to be precise. In Dwemeris, it says _‘This monument commemorates those who fell in the wars. Those who drowned in their greed for the Forge of the Heavenly Stone and were then felled by the blades of the Nords. May their folly be remembered and their souls be at peace’_. Needless to say, that would make one curious about what this ‘Forge of the Heavenly Stone’ is.”

The reciting of those words, quick and without hesitation, put the attention back on her. The crowd seemed admiring, but most of all, curious and a tad confused. Taron, however, looked noticeably uncomfortable.

The Altmer, however, was not letting up. “Indeed. Inscriptions are truly the life blood of our profession. A chance for the past to convey its story to the present. So Taron, will you assist us in reading the text on the commemorative slab? After all, that would be a wonderful way to confirm the work you have started from those first inscriptions.”

Almost immediately, the onlookers stepped away a bit, almost as if they wanted to urge the Dark Elf to step forward. He eventually did, but it looked more like a man stepping up to the executioner’s block than a scholar approaching his subject of choice. Katria wasn’t surprised at all. Her mind flashed back to the expeditions the two of them went on back when he was still her apprentice— how frustrated she’d been when she tried to explain that certain inscriptions provided clues on how to safely traverse the ruins, and how his ignorance and arrogance had set off traps time and time again… If Taron hadn’t tried to fake it until he made it after all this time, then it was very likely that he was still absolutely terrible at reading Dwemeris.

Indeed, he walked towards them like he had eaten a spoiled sweetroll. He approached the slab, breathing deeply as his eyes frantically darted across the Dwemer writing. The Nord woman calmly stood back as she could see him trying to work out the words, but if he had any plan to worm his way out, Calcelmo killed it then and there.

“So, my esteemed colleague. What does it say?”

Finally, now massively under pressure, the Dunmer forced himself to come up with something as he skimmed over the text. “This is the Aetherium Forge, built by the following cities. Arkngthamz, Bthardamz, Fahlbtharz and Mzuleft. And then, several names.”

As he read, Katria quickly looked at Calcelmo and Aicantar. Like her, they were apparently appealing to the Divines themselves not to laugh. So was she and even then, she didn’t know whether she wanted to laugh because it was so funny or whether she actually felt embarrassed on Taron’s behalf.

The younger Altmer had no such reservations. “Master Dreth, forgive me to presume, but I must ask. If all of the Aetherium Shards were found within the borders of Skyrim’s mainland, how is it that the slab mentions a location in Solstheim and another in Morrowind? What’s more, Bthardamz is hardly anything like the small, undocumented site Katria mentioned…”

It was at that very moment that Dreth realized how much he had messed up. Again, he tried to speak, but Aicantar didn’t even let him. Instead, he turned towards one of the mages in the crowd, a Bosmer mage from the College of Winterhold.

“Master Enthir, you have a long history of deciphering the Dwemer language. Would you come up and confirm? After all, we must be thorough, especially if we are going to study this slab for years to come…”

Enthir obviously wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to give the slab a closer look. The man practically skipped forward, racing up to the stone as if he was receiving a rare treat. He practically shoved Taron aside as he poured over the inscriptions. Yet when he looked up, there was a frown on his face.

“Hm… I’m afraid I have to say that… Well, I believe our colleague is wrong. I agree with him on Arkngthamz, but the other cities seem to be… ‘Bthar-Zel’— some place I’ve never heard of, Raldbthar and Mzulft. Those would correspond with the places Katria indicated on her map as well. I also have to say, with due respect, that Master Taron’s translation is rather coarse. There is an entire section on the covenant these city states made and what drove them to build the Forge as well...”

In an instant, Dreth looked like he was choking on something and the Nord woman wouldn’t be surprised if that was just his pride. It was good to finally see this liar and schemer put on the backfoot. At this point, she couldn’t resist piling it on further.

“That is what I read as well. Arkngthamz, Bthar-Zel, Raldbthar and Mzulft. Those are the locations I found on my map in Mzund and where I found all the Shards of the Aetherium Crest… though the only thing left of Bthar-Zel seems to be the bridge now known as Deep Folk Crossing, near the border between The Reach and High Rock.” 

She walked up to the slab and pointed to the words inscribed. “The rest, that which is still readable, says the following. _‘Let this stone mark the covenant of the Aetherium Forge, built by the following cities, Akngthamz, Bthar-Zel, Raldbthar and Mzulft. It shall mark the day when we decided to wield the crystal that links us to the Heavens and bend it to our will. May it be a testament to our successes, failures and, ultimately, triumph. The names here are shrouded in glory, the men and women whose minds conceived that which was considered impossible.’_ This is followed by their names, one of them being Nevichund Stungnzalf, the Dwemer woman who wrote the log in Mzund.”

Almost immediately, Enthir was beside her again and reading as well, looking up at her with a nod. “That is correct.”

Katria just smiled innocently at him. “I’m glad you seemed to think so, Enthir. But maybe I should study it again if you and Taron can’t quite agree...”

The Dunmer glowered at her, but Calcelmo interrupted almost cheerfully. “Scholarly disagreement, the root of progress. That reminds me, Taron. Katria says that she found no more Aetherium on her travels. In _The Aetherium Wars_ , you mention that _‘the Dwemer discovered a considerable source of Aetherium in their deepest delvings’_. Where do you think that could be? And do you think more Aetherium could be found there?”

Clearly feeling the heat, Dreth responded faster this time with a nervous chuckle. “Well, that had to have been very deep underground then. And then there’s the question of whether any of the volatile material has survived.”

Katria watched as he folded his arms, trying to reassert his earlier confidence and air of expertise. All she saw, however, was the ever more awkward looks of their audience, shifting nervously at this entire display. His credibility had already taken a hit, but now that he was in the ring, Calcelmo wasn’t planning to let him off the hook.

He took out what looked like the notes that Taron had once sent to him. “You even mentioned it in the recent draft you sent me of your future book. Let’s see, it says _‘The Aetherium the Deep Folk so coveted is only found within the unplumbed crevices of Nirn, yielded by the most arduous diggings, though alas, its location remains hitherto unknown to even the finest of scribes and savants’_.”

As Katria listened, she considered Calcelmo the most strong-willed man she had ever met. She was absolutely positive that she could not have made it through such vapid, synonym-ridden tripe without breaking down in laughter. As it was, she was sure she was hearing some snorts and chuckles from their onlookers, though many of them were polite enough to try and keep it down. Yet it seemed the older Altmer was not yet done, taking out Katria’s oldest notes.

“It just surprises me, Taron, that someone with your knowledge has not come any closer to this mystery. Especially when I compared your notes with those of your colleague Katria, about a year before the publication of _The Aetherium Wars_. After all, they read _‘The primary location where the Dwarves mined their Aetherium has not yet been found, but it is likely that it was at the city of Fal’Zhardum Din, or Blackreach in Tamrielic. The city is mentioned many times in Dwemer texts as a fact of life, so while not yet discovered, it is unlikely to merely be a myth’_. Seeing how you two were close colleagues at the time, to the point you dedicated your book to her, I find it odd you never discussed this.”

The mage’s tone never lost his friendliness, but at this stage, Dreth looked less like a Dark Elf and more like a Snow Elf. And he was not the only one who seemed to have been caught off-guard. As Katria peered at the audience, she could see something had shifted. A lot of the bright minds in the room had likely noticed the clear difference in style between the Dunmer’s first book and his attempted follow-up and the similarities between the style of said book and her older material. They were starting to realize something was not right.

Realizing how badly he was losing control of the narrative, Taron was practically sweating. “Ah, but you know how fiercely protective scholars can be of their work, even amongst each other. Besides, I am not sure why you are so interested in _my_ contributions to Dwemer metallurgy all of a sudden. After all, this is Katria’s exhibition. I am sure the guests would like to continue questioning her.”

It was clear he wanted to step back, but Calcelmo didn’t let him. “They likely would, but since you were so eager to insert yourself into that situation, I feel like I should indulge you. Besides, I have another question I simply must ask you and that I feel only someone with your… _experience_ can answer.”

A smarter man would’ve run, but that underhanded bit of ego-stroking had Dreth remain in place, smiling. “Ask away then, so we can wrap this up and poor Katria can finally have her moment again.”

The Nord woman fought a scornful laugh. Even now, he seemed to think of her as lesser than him. As if she was some poor unremarkable girl who could only get out of his shadow by his grace. If only he realized that currently, he was making a fool out of himself, not her.

The question Calcelmo asked was calm, concise and brutal all at once. “Did you actually write _The Aetherium Wars_ , Taron?”

An odd sound suddenly echoed through the Museum, almost as if everyone in the room got run through by a sword. As it was, Dreth actually looked like he was impaled on a greatsword. For a moment, he almost seemed to gasp for breath, only barely composing himself.

“O-of course. My dear Calcelmo, why would you ask such a preposterous question?”

The Altmer didn’t flinch and all affability had been sucked from his eerily calm voice. “I think it’s a rather reasonable question. For over two years, you have claimed yourself to be an expert in this field. Yet here you are, unable to remember inscriptions that supposedly led you to the discovery that made you famous. In fact, it seems like you hardly understand Dwemeris at all. And then there is the fact that the style of your newest material doesn’t remotely match that of your claim to fame, but it does match the work of your supposed ‘friend and colleague’…”

He took another step closer to the other Elf, his golden eyes piercing like a hawk’s. “So no, Taron, I don’t think I am asking a preposterous question. Especially when your so-called ‘friend and colleague’ has proven herself in the possession of knowledge and information you sorely lack. Why, it seems to me that you didn’t write _The Aetherium Wars_ at all, but Katria did.”

This time, there was a loud and audible gasp that filled the entire museum. It tore through the onlookers like a shockwave and the earlier tranquil atmosphere was now completely gone. Meanwhile, Dreth simply stood there, nailed to the ground, looking as though he was staring down a sabre cat and was desperately trying to not provoke it into attacking.

“Stop it right there!”

The shrill voice of the blonde Nord woman, one of Taron’s publishers, broke the loaded silence. She marched up to Calcelmo, with the movements of a toddler about to have a tantrum. She pushed Taron behind him as if he were a child to protect and then angrily got up in the mage’s face, at least as much as her shorter height let her.

“Master Calcelmo, how dare you accuse our client of something so heinous! And to do so in public! I thought better of you in our earlier conversation, especially considering your reputation! Trust me when I say we will not let this slide!”

Calcelmo’s face didn’t show even a trace of emotion. “Do not talk to me, my dear, about letting things slide. After all, that is exactly what you and your partners did when Katria came to your publishing house, raising her concerns that Taron had stolen her work. In our earlier conversation, I asked whether you had investigated her claims. You yourself told me that it didn’t seem necessary as ‘the situation appeared to be in Taron’s favor’. And yet, when I asked you about the sudden change in styles and handwriting, you had no explanation. Tell me, do you have one now? I am certain everyone would love to hear it. So would I. I’d rather not make a further scene if my accusations prove unfounded.”

The blonde Nord woman immediately opened her mouth to snap at him, but nothing came out. Katria could only watch, with no small amount of vengeful happiness, as she tried to come up with an actual response, even looking at her fellow publishers who all seemed just as lost as she was. Just by the look on her face, Katria could tell what was going through her head. She knew that what Calcelmo said was true and now, the knowledge that her company had blindly believed and defended a con artist was exposed to the world. The sheer weight of that revelation almost seemed to crush her, reducing her voice to a whine as she actually stomped her feet like a petulant child.

“Still, you cannot do this!”

Calcelmo was not moved. “I very much can. You lot may have not cared whether the people you back have any integrity, but I do. So it is about time I act on behalf of one such person.”

With those words, he turned to the Dunmer, who was still frozen like a deer met with a hunter’s bow and arrow. “I can’t say you are an entirely unintelligent man, Taron. It was rather clever to steal the work of a largely unknown scholar, especially one without the means to seek legal counsel. I even commend you for seeking out a publishing house that valued entertainment over education and was less likely to question your validity. I may even admire the fact you kept up the ruse for so long. But the fact remains that you are a charlatan of the highest degree. You’re a fraud who got rich off someone else’s labor and it is time people know the truth.” 

The crowd seemed to still as the Altmer turned to them. “Katria here is the true author of _The Aetherium Wars_ and I will vouch for that to anyone who doubts it.”

Suddenly, the swelling tension that had been mounting all this time unleashed. The onlookers, who had watched the entire scene unfold, broke out into shocked mutters. Somewhere in the crowd, she saw Dahnasi the reporter write as if her life depended on it. Taron’s publishers, who had previously been so self-assured, looked as if their family had been murdered in front of their eyes. Yet the image that stuck with her the most was Cadmus.

Her lover was sitting on one of the Dwemer chairs found at the exhibition. He had found himself some more wine and was reclining in a relaxed position as he watched everything unfold with the biggest grin on his face. Unlike the rest of the onlookers, he wasn’t shocked or appalled at all. If anything, he was having the time of his life.

The person who was definitely not having the time of his life was Taron. It was only now, in this very moment of chaos, that the true gravity of the situation had hit him. That his lie, which he had maintained long enough to make him rich and famous, was now finally revealed. In this very instance, his reputation, his livelihood and his credibility had been shattered in one fell swoop.

Somewhere inside of her, she could feel something twist. All this time, she had dreamed of hurting him. Of getting any kind of comeuppance for what he had put her through. Yet as she watched him standing here, utterly eviscerated by nothing but the cold hard truth, for the world to see, that desire was no longer there. Calcelmo had destroyed him much more effectively than any weapon could. At this stage, a dagger between the ribs would almost be a mercy. The Nord woman hated to admit it, but right now, she almost felt sorry for him.

A sentiment that lasted all of three seconds before something seemed to crack in Taron and he blurted out his indignation at the Altmer. “You side with her? Her? Over a fellow Mer? Did the times when we collaborated mean nothing to you?”

Calcelmo huffed at his pathetic attempt at invoking kinship. “I side with those who exhibit ethics and honesty in their work. You have neither. You’re a disgrace to scholars everywhere and my only regret is that I didn’t do anything with my earlier suspicions of you. I am simply glad you never managed to steal my work as well.”

This blatant indication that his charismatic mask hadn’t been as well-crafted as he thought seemed to send him over the edge. His face was now drenched in sweat and his eyes looked as if he were facing down the Daedric Princes themselves. Utter, undistilled fear seemed to have taken over him and suddenly, he turned to her.

“Katria, please...”

His soft, pleading and almost strangled voice caught her off guard. “Katria… I’m so sorry. Truly, deeply sorry. It was just… Your work is unbelievable. Far better than anything I could have ever achieved in my long Elven lifetime. _I had a moment of weakness!_ And I was even weaker for not admitting to it. But I beg you now. Please, forgive me.”

The Nord woman said nothing. How could she? Out of all the things she thought would happen today, this was not one of them. Taron Dreth, so humiliated and so desperate that he was now begging her, the person he’d wronged, for forgiveness. Acting so scared and so broken that he seemed almost ready to kneel at her feet. She was quite sure he would, if he thought it would help him.

It was the most pathetic thing she had ever seen.

If he’d had any dignity, even a shred of it, he would not have degraded himself like that. He should have accepted that the truth was out and left, finding some place to wait out the scandal. But even now, he couldn’t face just how severe the consequences of his actions were and was trying to save face. Even now, he was arrogant enough to think he could turn the tide, if only she’d be stupid enough to forgive him and he looked remorseful enough in public.

The vengeful, hotheaded Nord in her wanted nothing more than to laugh in his face. To spit on his inadequate show of contrition. She wanted to tell him that he was a manipulative, two-faced piece of dragon dung, a liar and the worst apprentice she ever had. A sorry parasite who lived off the hard work of others. That he deserved every little bit of this humiliation. She wanted to tell him that after everything he had done to her, he could fall straight into the pits of Oblivion.

And yet…

Those were not the words coming out of her mouth. Instead, all that rage and pain was somehow channeled into something… else. Something eerily calm and composed, without a hint of profanity in sight. It was as if, all of a sudden, her body and mind had decided that anger at this horrible excuse for a person were not worth it and that her battle was over. All she needed to do was to cut the final string.

What did come out was a soft, resigned sigh. “I know you’re sorry, Taron. But we both know you’re only sorry that you got caught.”

Whatever flicker of hope the Dunmer had, seemed to evaporate. He looked like she had whipped him in the face and it scared her just how much power her outward serenity had. She was in control here and with that ultimate sense of composure, she continued, not taking her eyes off him once.

“If you were truly sorry, you would have given up on your ruse long ago. But it took this, all of this, for you to ask forgiveness. What motivates you right now is your own fate. Not the betrayal, pain and humiliation I suffered because of your lies.” 

For a moment, Taron threatened to speak again, no doubt with more pity-inducing platitudes, and she cut him off, crossing her arms and shaking her head as she gave him a final piece of her mind. “I can’t forgive you for what you did, Taron. Nor can I save you from the consequences for what you did. That is up to you. So go out there and prove you’re better than that. Find your own path on your own merits. I’m not responsible for your redemption.”

Again, there was silence. Katria felt all eyes in the room on her. Some still reeling, others with admiration. In that moment, she truly felt the impact of everything she had said and especially how it had been received. Right here, at her own exhibition in the heart of Markarth, she was now the bigger person and this was felt by those around her. She had won and by not grinding her enemy’s face further into the dirt, she had won respect as well.

Something had indeed changed and it was clear that Taron felt it too.

Suddenly, she could see his face contort into what looked like pure rage. He practically leaped at her, getting into her personal space. The look in his eyes was utterly unhinged, as he shouted in her face, flecks of spit flying everywhere.

“You… This was all your doing, wasn’t it, bitch?! You set me up! You explicitly put me in this position to ruin me!”

This time, she did crack a smile, though she held back on a laugh. So this was all it took. All that was needed to turn Taron Dreth from remorseful to outright vindictive. From one face to the other at the drop of septim, like the duplicitous bastard he was, now that he was no longer getting his way. She now had a good idea of what Tully and Partners had to experience. A selfish, impulsive and almost childish narcissist who couldn’t accept his own shortcomings and still tried to bully people into compliance, not realizing or caring that it only made him look worse. And right now, in front of all these people, he was the one looking worse.

She looked at him, completely calm. “I didn’t ruin you, Taron. You ruined yourself. Everything you have is based on a lie. And now you’re surprised it all comes crashing down when that lie gets exposed? After all this time, you have learned nothing.”

Her measured response only seemed to infuriate him more. From the corner of her eye, she could already see Cadmus get up from his chair to intervene, though the crowd made it hard for him to get to her. Some of the guards were also coming in, but they were not nearly fast enough to prevent her former apprentice from going on another outburst.

“I deserve it more! More than a miserable n’wah like you ever did! I am a Dreth, scion of a proud, resourceful line from Morrowind! Glory and renown should be mine! Who are you to think you are owed anything? You, a lowlife, mead-slurping, hairy, flea-ridden, unwashed, frozen Nord cunt, born from dirt and with no education!”

This time, actual sounds of anger were heard from the crowd. Not surprising, since a majority of the guests were Nords themselves and she knew many of the prominent scholars here were self-taught, as well as from poor backgrounds. In his self-righteous hatred, Taron had handily managed to insult a good number of the audience all at once and only further turned the momentum against him.

The best part of it, however, were his publishers. The four humans, two of them Nords, stood there like they were slapped in the face. In fact, the blonde female Nord and the Redguard looked like they were on the verge of tears. Not surprising, since they had once heroically defended their client from perceived racism, only to now find that he himself practiced it in spades. Oh, how the tables had turned…

As the angered sounds from the onlookers got louder, it appeared that Dreth finally realized how deep the hole he had dug himself in was. He glanced aside, seeing countless eyes filled with sympathy for Katria and nothing but pure disgust for him. Within the span of fifteen minutes, he had gone from revered to reviled, in the eyes of people who were sure to talk about what they had seen here. Only now, he seemed to see the reporter from the Black Horse Courier, the heralds from every Hold gleefully taking in every minute of this scandal and the many writers and scholars who continued to write their notes. This incident wouldn't stay between these walls and soon, all of Skyrim, possibly even beyond, would know exactly what had happened that day in the Dwemer Museum of Markarth.

The moment that revelation seemed to truly get through to Taron, his fury seemed to reignite. He turned back to her with absolutely murderous intent, but Katia simply stood there, amused and incredulous. Even now, he still blamed her for this. Even though he had tried to upstage her in the first place and then continued to make a greater fool out of himself than she could ever hope to do. In the world of Taron Dreth, he was never at fault for his own misfortune.

Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. The sudden touch had her look up and she found herself staring up at Cadmus. Apparently, her lover had sensed that the atmosphere might turn even uglier and before the guards could intervene, he had made it to her side. He stared down the Dunmer, just daring him to try something stupid.

Every inch of Katria's being knew that he would follow through on that unspoken threat. So did Taron. She briefly saw hesitation in the Dunmer's demeanor, as he sized up this new challenger. He had likely already known he couldn't take her in a straight fight unless he caught her by surprise. Still, he was clearly not yet used to a world where people actually came to her aid, much less someone powerful enough to be a match for him.

Dreth looked at him as if he had stepped in a dog turd. "Your newest lover, Katria? My, quite brutish for an Imperial, aren't you? And here I thought your kind had class and refinement. That sure explains why she lets you inside her. I suppose she has use for a meat-headed dog."

Katria found herself seething at that remark, but Cadmus actually laughed. "More use than you. She never had to fish me out of any traps. And when I commit a dirty deed against her, it’s something she actually enjoys."

His swift, hilariously outrageous response caused Katria to laugh as well, and so did some of the onlookers close enough to hear, but it made Dreth even angrier. "Have at me then! I will burn that grin off your face, you hideous scar-ridden s'wit!"

Cadmus already slid in a fighting stance, ready to summon magic of his own. It was at that very point, however, that Calcelmo intervened. With unnatural nimbleness, he moved in between the two men, forcing them apart. He quietly motioned Cadmus to stay where he was and the Imperial wordlessly did so. Then, he turned to the Dunmer, his expression hard as stone.

"That is quite enough, Taron.”

Even now, Dreth didn't know when to quit, practically snarling at the other Elf. “Oh no, it isn’t enough. It’s far from enough! I will not stand for this, not from them or from you! Mark my words, you fetchers! This will not be the last of it!”

He tried to approach again, apparently deciding he had nothing more to lose now. But before he could, the Altmer made the first move. Without warning, he took a simple, brisk step forward. It was so sudden and forceful that it startled the Dunmer and as he stumbled back, Katria witnessed something that raised the hairs on her neck.

She had never seen Calcelmo angry. Annoyed, perhaps, but he was not the type of man to waste his energy on extreme emotions. Yet it seemed that there was something about Taron Dreth that stirred the absolute wrath of the Aedra in him and the sight of it was terrifying to behold. 

Suddenly, every aspect of Calcelmo’s usual awkwardness and absent-mindedness had melted away like ice in the sun. All that was left now was the immensely powerful conjurer and as he descended on Taron, he looked as if he was going to unleash a horde of Dremora on him then and there. When he spoke, every word was steel and his deceptively calm tone could cut through bone.

“Oh, is it now? What will you do? Run to the publishers who now know you’re a fraud? Appeal to the Morag Tong for a kill they will never grant? Will you get your lowlife family of bootleggers, loan sharks, skooma dealers and gambling den owners to threaten us? Or are you foolish enough to strike me with some spells here and now? Test your luck, Dreth. You will find I’m not so easily cowed.”

For the first time since she had to save him from a trap, Katria saw Taron Dreth tremble. For perhaps the very first time in his life, he was faced with someone he couldn't bully or coerce. Someone infinitely more powerful than him, who had no interest or stake in bowing to his whims and who could probably end him with magic alone.

By now, the guards knew that things might get physical fast. Readying their swords, they started to carefully move in, no doubt planning to do their job and throw out the offending party, possibly even arrest him if he resisted. Calcelmo noticed them approach and relaxed somewhat, though it was obvious he was not backing down. He looked at Dreth, his tone terse.

“Save what dignity you have left, Dreth. Leave my museum or I will have you removed from the premises. I know you’re no stranger to that.”

That command, laced with a subtle layer of insult, seemed to be the final straw for the Dunmer. Knowing that any further escalation would likely see him wiped from the face of Nirn by one of Skyrim’s most powerful wizards, he gave up. With one last foul look at Katria, he beat a hasty retreat, practically shoving some of the onlookers aside to make it out. Most of the crowd, however, parted happily, casting him the evil eye as he left.

For a moment, it looked like the publishers of Stone City were right on his heels. Aicantar, however, had walked up to them and fixed them in place with a stare. Clearly, the two Altmer were not yet done with them and Katria had a feeling that she wasn’t either. Soon, the door to the museum was heard slamming shut and all that remained was an unbearably uncomfortable atmosphere.

Then, just as she was about to wonder what would come next, Calcelmo piped up. “Well everyone, I apologize for that unflattering interruption. We shall now continue where we left off. Does anyone else have any questions?”

Katria looked at the Altmer in shock. She felt like she was shaking on her legs, completely off her stride by the situation that had just taken place. He, however, treated the incident like putting a troublesome, interrupting stray cat back outside. He acted like Taron Dreth had never even been there, like he hadn’t just made a scene and like he wasn’t even worth another second of thought in their minds.

For some reason, it seemed that the audience shared that exact sentiment. The next thing she knew, excited murmurs rose up all around her as two dozen hands flew up again. Still reeling, she pointed to the nearest one and the next thing she knew, a barrage of questions came again.

The first few ones were, predictably, about the entire damn mess that just went down. What the real connection between her and Dreth was and how he had come by her work. She had kept that brief, explaining he was her apprentice and that he had stolen her notes when she had lent them to him as an act of goodwill. Her unwillingness to further disgrace him seemed to impress the audience and soon, the questions turned to the actual content of _The Aetherium Wars_ , her changes and improvement to its theories since then and how it actually led up to the discoveries she had made now, leading to more in-depth inquiries about the current exhibition. 

The questions went on for another hour and a half and as they progressed, the mood in the room grew into one of admiration, curiosity and excitement. She was met with another thunderous applause at the end of it, to the point she felt overwhelmed all over again. 

Even so, she took it graciously, drinking in the sound of respect and recognition, at long last.

* * *

After the question-and-answer portion of her demonstration had ended, the event proved to be far from over. Several people came up to commend Katria and talk to her, offering both sympathy and congratulations. Dahnasi of the Black Horse Courier even cornered her and begged her for a full in-depth interview about the whole debacle, to which she agreed. The Khajiit reporter was extremely happy with the contents once done and thanked her profusely, before she went to chase Calcelmo down for an interview as well. Lastly, the heralds were equally hungry for quotes on the situation, though she stayed a lot more measured there as she had no interest in contributing to gossip.

At this point, it was already well into the afternoon and Katria was utterly exhausted, even if she felt quite accomplished and proud. She was glad that Calcelmo had suggested setting up a small area with tables and chairs for guests to rest, drink and talk, as she felt she was sorely in need of the first two. She smiled when she already found Cadmus there, enjoying another drink and looking quite cheerful.

When he saw her, however, the biggest smile came onto his face. “My lady.”

She laughed a little at his flirty tone and moved to stroke his shoulder. Much to her surprise, however, he reached out and gently pulled her into his lap. She didn’t protest, especially not when he kissed her as well. A few moments later, one of the servers came over with what looked like a large goblet of the finest mead and a few of the boiled creme treats she loved so much. She gratefully took a sip, realizing it was not watered down at all, and gave her lover a look.

He grinned. “I had a quick word with the kitchen. I figured you’ve earned it.”

That made her smile. “I have, haven’t I? Well, here’s to me then. And you. And Calcelmo and Aicantar. Today would not have been possible without all of you.”

As if on cue, Cadmus picked up his own cup and toasted it with hers. She happily took another sip, glad to be able to enjoy a drink and rest for a bit. It tasted great, she had to admit. It tasted like victory.

Having finished his wine, the Imperial looked her over. “So… Is this everything you ever wanted?”

Katria put her drink down and looked around. She had to admit that what she saw was something she had once never dared to imagine. An exhibition at a museum, filled with her discoveries and work. An exhibition with tons of people, who were all here to appreciate what she had done and enforced the fact that her labors of the last twenty years had been meaningful.

It was like something out of a dream and the fact it was real made it so much more beautiful.

She smiled at Cadmus, realizing her voice sounded a little choked when she answered. “Yes. Everything and so much more.”

This response seemed to please him as well and she said nothing as he wrapped an arm around her and held her close. They sat like that for a while, with her leaning against him, saying nothing as she quietly drank and ate. She deeply appreciated his consideration, content to feel safe, warm and protected as she tried to regain some of her strength and rest a little.

Suddenly, she could feel Cadmus’s hold on her tighten. Knowing he tended to do that when he felt the need to get protective, she quickly looked up at him. He glanced back at her as well, whispering softly.

“Don’t look yet, but I see priests who just lost their faith…”

His strange remark had her glance ahead, only to quickly understand once she saw. Taron’s publishers were approaching her, looking like pilgrims on a mission. The looks they got as they passed by indicated that their status in this space had dropped significantly, which probably explained why they hurried to her table, trying to keep a low profile.

They seemed oddly awkward about the image before them. To not find her at their feet, but instead in an Imperial’s lap, a goblet in hand. Almost as if the new order of things offended them immensely. Katria couldn’t care less. She was not doing anything inappropriate by exchanging some rather chaste affection with her lover. This was her exhibition and she deserved some decadence.

“Katria, we would like you to come with us.”

The male Nord spoke with some urgency, even an undertone of angry insistence. There was something about it she didn’t like at all. At the same time, she could feel Cadmus tense and his grip on her increase. Clearly, he didn’t much trust them either.

She took another sip of her drink. “Why?”

The greasy Breton spoke sternly. “Because we clearly got off on the wrong foot and you have the wrong impression of us. I feel we could still fix this situation, if only we could speak in private.”

He tried to sound friendly, but Katria didn’t buy it for a second. There was something unpleasantly conspiratory about the way they looked at each other. It reminded her of the way bandits looked at each other when they decided to kill a victim. And while she doubted that they would kill her, she had the feeling that after what she had done to one of their most profitable ventures, they didn’t have honorable intentions.

She gave them a stern look. “I don’t think so. If there is anything you have to say to me, you can say it in front of my associate.”

Instantly, she saw all their expressions change. Clearly, they had hoped she was so eager for an apology of sorts that she would happily skip after them. Something told her, however, that an apology was very low on their list of priorities. Likely, they were looking to intimidate her in some way, but like the cowardly cosmopolitans they were, they would only do so if they could gang up on her, far away from her friends.

Their next attempt was so transparent that it was hilarious. “Well, I doubt he would understand all of the legal intricacies that are involved in this very… delicate matter. Which we are happy to explain if you would come with us to a more quiet place to discuss it.”

A rough, barking laugh suddenly had the entire party, her included, jump. She looked back, surprised it actually came from Cadmus. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, he composed himself again and simply gave them an iron stare.

“You’re right. I’m not that well-versed legally. But I do know that you are not here to apologize and you are not all that sorry. Right now, you are simply trying to save all your miserable hides.”

Out of nowhere, all of them looked like they were caught stealing a long taffy treat. Katria snorted at that, wondering why these jesters had ever made her feel afraid or upset. She noticed just how young and fresh-faced they looked too, especially compared to her and Cadmus. These were not hardened, cunning business people. They were likely a bunch of privileged friends who had not been alive long enough for something truly bad to happen to them, and had decided to start a business together. Now that Dreth had been exposed as a thief and a fraud, they were faced with the reality that not everyone they dealt with was pure of heart. And like most young people who had never had to take responsibility for gross misjudgment before, they cared more about escaping unscathed than solving the issue.

She had to admit she felt a little sorry for them for being so in over their heads. Still, it didn’t make them any less incompetent and despicable. Especially not when the Redguard stepped in.

“Oh sure, laugh at us! What are you, an adventurer? You have likely never been responsible for anything in your life, let alone a business! You wouldn’t understand the stakes involved if your life depended on it!”

Considering his own life experiences, Cadmus simply gave him a bemused look. His quiet smile at their assumptions only seemed to agitate them even more. Before either party could respond, however, another voice piped up.

“Well, _Legate_ Cadmus may not have ever been responsible for a business, but he knows how to care for his soldiers’ lives. After all, the Civil War _was_ a matter of life and death and he didn’t exactly become a _war hero_ by resting on his laurels. It is true, though, that he is not that well-versed in legal matters and neither is Katria. That’s why I brought someone who is.”

Everyone looked up at those words and Katria’s eyes went wide as she saw Aicantar approach. With him was an Imperial woman who appeared to be in her early thirties, dressed in a simple but neat manner, with a friendly but also business-like expression. She walked up to the table with grace and poise, but it reminded Katria less of a dancer and more of a Senche-Leopard. The Altmer practically smirked as he introduced her.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mia Fidelius. One of the finest jurisconsults from Skingrad in Cyrodiil. A close friend. I invited her over to vet Katria’s rights in regards to the Aetherial Crown, but I have the feeling her opinion may also be useful here.”

Then and there, Katria swore she could hear four stomachs drop in her near vicinity. As it was, she was a little awed as well. Cadmus had told her about jurisconsults— legal professionals— in Cyrodiil and how every person judged by the court was entitled to their legal counsel there. They were not as well integrated in other provinces like Skyrim, but they still held power. What’s more, she was likely way more well-versed in Tamrielan Law than her current adversaries were.

Mia responded to it all with a cheerful smile. “Nice to meet you, Katria, Cadmus. Aicantar told me my services were needed here. From what I saw at the presentation, I very much agree.”

She turned to the four publishers, eyeing them up like a cat did a mouse. “So, you have not only employed someone who stole another’s work, but you have profited off that work as well without the owner’s consent. And when said owner alerted you about this, you specifically didn’t conduct any investigation to either verify or disprove those claims. So you have engaged in aiding fraud, abetting and committing theft and are essentially also guilty of negligence. All rather severe crimes, which can result in hefty fines, perhaps even time in prison...”

Almost immediately, Katria saw the publishers lose all color in their faces. She couldn’t blame them. Even she didn’t realize that their refusal to hear her accusations out could now backfire on them so badly. Mia didn’t immediately continue, instead waiting several delicious minutes to let this reality sink in.

“Of course, this depends entirely on whether Katria here wants to take you to court. Perhaps, she is also amenable to compensation in a settlement outside of it. _Generous_ compensation. In which case, you walk away without further consequences, apart from those you’ve already suffered to your reputation.”

It was no doubt meant as the better alternative, but if anything, the quartet now looked like they were being strangled. A stranglehold she was currently in control of, based on her actions alone. It was more power than she had ever had in her life. It was sweet and thrilling, to think she could finally crush these idiots under her boot, but oddly enough, she was also wondering if she should.

While it would temporarily make her feel good to squeeze them for every drop, it also felt kind of petty. As Cadmus could attest, petty revenge could be fun in small matters, but might be a poor choice for the long run. And how long did she want to stretch this anyway? After a lifetime of being mocked and ignored, she didn’t want to spend any more time on the privileged simpletons who had hurt her the worst. Besides, she was wondering if she really wanted a fortune that was made off a rough, unfinished draft of her notes. Especially when it was never truly about the money, but about her life’s work. That notion alone gave her a better idea.

She spoke up. “I would be willing to settle for compensation, but I’m not interested in money.”

This made everyone give her a surprised look, but she continued without missing a beat. “I want the rights to _The Aetherium Wars_. Taron sold them to you when they weren’t his to sell, so I would like my work back, to do with as I please. As a consequence, you must stop printing the book effective immediately and destroy any copies that are still in any of your warehouses. Those are my demands for compensation. Do with your septims what you will.”

By now, every single person near the table was gaping at her, especially Mia. “Are you certain, Katria? You could definitely ask for more. Are you sure you don’t want a cut of the profits of _The Aetherium Wars_ as well? Or money for damages?”

Katria shook her head with a smile. “Yes. This was never about money. It’s about my life’s work being stolen from me. All I need is to have that back. Whatever else these half-wits get up to with their joke of a publishing house is their business.”

She could see all of them lean back a little from that last insult, which frankly wasn’t nearly as vicious as it could’ve been. For a moment, Mia continued to determine if she truly meant it, only to then smile and nod. She then turned to the publishers with a steely voice.

“You’re fortunate people. And when I say that, I mean that your incompetence has affected one of the most reasonable, merciful people I’ve met in my life. I’d take this if I were you. Because I can tell you that by Tamrielic Law, you owe her far more.”

The utter confidence with which it was said, no doubt backed up by years of actual legal knowledge, was apparently enough. Next thing she knew, all four of the publishers were clucking away like the chickens at Cadmus’s home, stumbling over each other with their answers blurring together as they all tried to be the first to agree.

“D-deal! We’ll take it! Right now! We’ll get it done right away!” 

Their easy capitulation seemed to amuse Mia to no end. “Very well then. I will draw up the contract here and now. One for every person involved and one for me and the court, signed by all of us. I will then go to the court of Markarth to enforce it. And I will have the Stone City premises thoroughly searched to see if the order was complied with. Trust me when I say that failure to do so will lead to further legal action.”

The jurisconsult clearly enjoyed watching them squirm after saying it, but wasted no time actually drawing up the agreement with the quill and ink Aicantar had helpfully fetched in the meantime. She presided over the signing with the eyes of a hawk and checked the work afterwards to make certain no one had tried to change the recorded agreements. She then handed the publishers of Stone City each of their respective copies and with the matter finally settled, they hurried towards the doors of the museum to make themselves scarce.

Katria was only happy to see them go and relished in it until Mia spoke. “Well, Katria, that settles it. _The Aetherium Wars_ is yours again, as the rightful author. Aicantar and I will immediately go to file this contract at the court of Markarth and we will keep track of this matter for you. If I don’t see you here again, I congratulate you on your wonderful exhibition and we’ll be keeping in touch through letters.”

The Nord woman nodded. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. And do keep in touch. I am planning to compensate you for your efforts here.”

All she got from the female Imperial was a chuckle. “All in due time. Enjoy the rest of the day. It’s truly yours.”

Putting her own two copies of the contract on the inside of her clothes, she walked away with the younger Altmer. Katria leaned further into Cadmus as she watched her, quietly praising the ingenuity of their Elven friends. When Calcelmo said he was going to make certain justice would be done, he had meant it. He had restored every little thing she had lost, all in one long and eventful day. She could never thank him enough for that, though she had an idea that might go some way towards it.

Throughout the exhibition, she had wondered what should be done with the Aetherial Crown aftwards. She had nowhere to store it, no place she considered safe enough at least, and she was afraid to wear it herself. It could very easily break, get stolen or become lost during her many expeditions. She didn’t want to sell it either, as no merchant alive could truly provide the value this artifact had in septims. As such, she couldn’t think of a better place for it than here, in the Dwemer Museum of Markarth, where it would be protected and could be studied by Dwemer scholars for possibly decades to come. She was planning to discuss it with Calcelmo after this long day was over and something told her he would be elated to take her up on her offer.

But before then, she had one last thing to do.

She looked at Cadmus with a smile. “Give your long-suffering lover leave for a moment? There is one last person I really must talk to.”

It was more of a joke than anything and the Imperial let her go without protest, smiling. “Do you want me to get you something else in the meantime?”

The Nord woman thought for a moment. “Some more of those boiled creme treats will do. I won’t be long, so wait for me, alright?”

He grinned. “I always do.”

She simply smirked at his response, only to slide off his lap and look around the room. She quite quickly found Sheriah Sadras, who was happily chatting with a younger Dunmer mage from Winterhold. Katria approached her, patiently waiting for them to finish. Realizing that she wanted to talk, the older Dunmer politely cut her conversation short and turned to her.

“So, you’re back. No more Taron Dreth to compete with, huh? And from what I saw back there, you settled some things with his lap dogs as well?”

Katria only barely held back a grin at that bluntness. “You can say that. Which leaves me in a much better position to consider your earlier offer. In fact, I would like to counter it with an offer of my own, if I may be so bold.”

Sheriah crossed her arms, looking amused, but especially interested. “Be bold.”

Feeling the encouragement, the Nord woman went for it. “I would love to have you publish my book about the Aetherium Forge. However, that will no longer be the only book to my name. As you know, I’m also the author of _The Aetherium Wars_. A flawed, incomplete book, but like you said, one with some good things as well.”

The Dunmer’s smile grew wider. “Go on…”

Katria didn’t hesitate. “So I was wondering if, aside from the agreed upon book, you would also be interested in publishing a new, improved and complete edition of _The Aetherium Wars_ , reworked by the author to comply with the standards of Tully and Partners.”

If one could see stars in someone’s eyes, the Nord woman was quite sure she was seeing the entire galaxy in Sheriah’s. For several moments, she swore she could see an actual struggle in the other woman, as she seemed to bounce between extreme excitement and trained professionalism. This seemed to go back and forth for a bit and for a second, Katria wondered if she was going to be alright. Then, she laughed and shook her hand.

“I think I already like you, sera. You have yourself a deal. I shall speak with my higher-ups at the publishing house. We hope to see you in Solitude soon to sign an agreement.”

Katria only happily and readily agreed to that and as Sheriah walked off to likely celebrate with another brandy, the Nord woman felt like she was on top of the world. Suddenly, she felt woozy, not sure if it was fatigue or elation, but guessing that it was likely a mix of both. Today had been one huge, long adventure and it was here, with no more unfinished business, that it truly got through to her.

She had done it.

Those twenty years of being told that what she did was pointless… The horrible, painful journey that had nearly been cut short in Arkngthamz… She had achieved something. More than something. She had climbed to the very summit of an impossible mountain and now, she was feeling the wind in her hair, while looking over an utterly majestic view.

She was Katria, the middle child of too many children born to poor miners in a settlement so small it didn’t even have a name. Today, she was a scholar, acknowledged by some of the greatest names in her field. Today was a day she would never forget as long as the Divines still allowed her to be on Nirn.

A day brought about by years of hard work and because, at her lowest, deepest point, fate decided to have a sense of humor and caused a very unusual man to stumble into her life.

With that amusing thought, she returned to where Cadmus sat. He had not left, just like he’d promised, and she indeed saw some of her favorite treats on the table. But those were only her second priority as she slid back into his lap and kissed him deeply. He answered it readily, caring just as little of what everyone else thought as she did. This was her moment, which he had seen through with her until the end, and she was overjoyed that he was there with her.

* * *

Katria felt both sad and immensely relieved when at last, the exhibition was over. It was already half past seven in the evening and the whole thing had lasted far longer than anyone had anticipated, both due to the debacle with Taron and the immense interest and enjoyment of the guests. It had been an amazing and fulfilling experience, but it also left her so drained that she had flashbacks of her arrival in the temple of Kynareth.

Thankfully, Calcelmo seemed to understand how exhausted she was, in no small part because he and Aicantar likely felt the same. As such, he had arranged for some of the staff of Understone Keep to bring a meal up to her and Cadmus’s room so they could eat in peace and sleep. Katria had taken the opportunity to have a hot, relaxing bath while she and Cadmus waited for their meal, and he had been sweet enough to wash her hair as she soaked in the water. When their food arrived, the two of them had practically wolfed down the rich dinner of mutton, cooked potatoes and green beans, not saying a word as they simply hoped to regain some energy through consumption. It had only done half the trick, however, and soon, the two of them had stripped off their clothes and were lying in bed.

As she cuddled up to her lover, he smiled. “All in all, today went quite well, huh?”

The understatement made her smile, but like him, she didn’t have the strength for big words either. “It sure did. Quite well.”

He smiled, not minding at all when she pressed up against him some more. They both of them were soon staring up at the ceiling, lost in the drowsy thoughts of the exhausted, eyelids already beginning to flutter. She figured they would simply fall asleep like that, only for Cadmus to suddenly speak up.

“So, what happens now?”

That question had her look at him again. “What do you mean?”

He looked at her as well. “Now that your quest is done and you found the Forge… What will happen? What will you do? Where will you go next?”

That question, she had to admit, caught her off-guard. Truth be told, she hadn’t thought about that at all. Up until this very point, it had barely even gotten through to her that her every goal had been achieved.

She pondered for a bit. “Well, first I will go to Solitude. I promised to sign a contract with Tully and Partners there. Then, find some place to write my books. And then… who knows? Go wherever the next discovery takes me, I guess… Back to the nomadic life, as always.”

Cadmus stayed oddly silent at that assessment. Even in her tired state, the Nord woman could tell there was something off about that. She turned to look at him, only to see a blank expression on his face. Almost as if he was… unhappy about that answer. Almost as if he were hurt by something she said… 

It took a few seconds for her tired mind to understand and when she did, she felt the sting of it too. After all, they were no longer the two strangers who met by chance in Arkngthamz. Something had grown between them over the past few months they had traveled together, something pure and intimate that had still not reached its conclusion. A bond that had grown easily and unobstructed throughout this adventure. A beautiful relationship that had blossomed so naturally, so much so that she never even thought about what would happen when it was all over and their paths would diverge again.

At that exact moment, she could feel her stomach turn at a sudden realization.

_She loved this man._

She loved him in a different, more powerful way than she had ever felt about any other person in her life. She felt as if Cadmus was the one person who truly understood her, cared for her and supported her wholeheartedly. He was the man who pulled her from the brink of death and risked his own life so she could continue to live. He was her voice of encouragement, her pillar of strength who showed her her true potential so she could go beyond her limits. He was the one who helped her achieve her dreams and gain the recognition she had spent twenty years of her life working towards. 

And yet… This same man was also the Dragonborn and she was just some wandering Dwemer scholar. There was only so long fate allowed them to walk the same road, and she wasn’t sure whether she could still have a place in his life now that their journey together had technically ended. Cadmus had his own destiny as the _Dovahkiin_ — to face Alduin, the World Eater, and it was something far greater than anything she could imagine. She didn’t even know if he would survive his dreadful fate, and all of a sudden, the fear of losing him came to the forefront.

At that moment, all triumphs of the day seemed lost. She felt lost, too. Her eyes were already starting to become watery as horrible, painful thoughts began swimming through her head. 

Was this it? Was this going to be the end of their relationship? 

Suddenly, Katria felt as if everything was crumbling down all over again. She didn’t want it to end. She loved Cadmus deeply and didn’t want to lose him. She couldn’t bear to think of parting ways with him, especially after everything they’d been through together. Even more so the idea that she might never see him again and that he would lose his life fulfilling his destiny… 

The very idea of it was absolutely heartbreaking, and she wasn’t sure if she should muster the energy and have this conversation now or just roll over, fall asleep and prepare for a morning filled with tears and sorrowful goodbyes. There was no good decision there and it once again hit how, in her life, the good things never seemed to stay for long…

“Katria…”

His voice sounded uncharacteristically soft and hesitant when he spoke again. Part of her wanted to drown it out, suddenly feeling too worn out to deal with it at all. She wanted to tell him that, to please sleep and that they’d talk tomorrow, only for him to beat her to it and continue.

“You could come live with me in Solitude, if you want...”

For a moment, Katria assumed her drowsiness caused her to mishear him. 

“What?”

He rolled over, leaning on one arm. “I know it might seem much, but… Katria… _I love you_. I know we haven’t been together very long, but the time we’ve spent is precious to me, and, well… so are you. I’d hate for you to leave again. I want to be with you. I would like for us to have a place we can both call home…”

Katria didn’t respond. She found she couldn’t. Once it had fully gotten through to her that she heard him correctly, all sound seemed to flee from her throat. She had expected many things from him, especially in this moment, but this was not one of them.

Her silence seemed to make him nervous. “I know… It’s kind of complicated. I am the unlucky chosen one of some cosmic lottery and I already have two children. But… I am not asking you to give up your life and wait for me at home every day. I’m also not asking you to be Sofie and Lucia’s mother. I want you to go out, to keep exploring ruins and do what you love. Maybe I can go with you sometimes. Maybe you can come along on my journeys, too. It’s just… As long as we can both call the same place home… _As long as we get to be together_ … That would make me very happy...”

He sounded very small at that moment. So very weak and vulnerable. It was always something that surprised her about him. Most men she knew went a lifetime trying not to flinch. Cadmus, however, was confident enough to wear his heart on his sleeve when it mattered. What he said now mattered more than anything.

He had just told her that he loved her. He’d said it with a conviction and certainty that she had never heard of any other person before. He asked her to stay, to be here with him. For this to be more than just some happy memory of a life-determining quest. But most of all, he was offering her a home. 

Katria couldn’t remember ever having a home. The place she grew up in was hardly one and ever since she’d left her village at seventeen, she had never really stayed in one place. Always searching, always on the move. Always hurrying so she wouldn’t overstay her welcome and be chased away by people who barely tolerated her and couldn’t care less.

But things were different now. She had found someone who cared. Someone who loved her unconditionally. Who wanted her there and welcomed her into his life, appreciating her for what and who she was. Now, he was asking her to be part of his family as well and it came with no strings attached. That alone was a reality she still couldn’t quite comprehend.

“Cadmus…”

By now, tears were flowing from her eyes and Katria found herself sitting up in spite of her exhaustion. Her lover had also sat up to comfort her, rubbing her shoulders and wrapping his arms around her as he kissed the top of her head. She put her own arms around his torso as well, embracing him tightly as she buried her face in his chest.

Cadmus nuzzled her lovingly, his voice apologetic. “I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you… Perhaps we should just sleep and talk about this in the morning—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as Katria put her hands on his face and kissed him, deeply and tenderly, as if to show him just how much he meant to her. He kissed her back, fingers in her hair, obviously surprised but not refusing the affection. When she finally found it in her to pull back, she saw him looking at her in confusion. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled.

“I’m not upset, Cadmus… Not at all… I’m just happy. _So happy_ … You have no idea how much joy you’ve brought into my life. And I just want you to know… _I love you, too_.”

Just like that, the uncertainty and hesitation disappeared from his face. Instead, there was only happiness. A kind of pure and undistilled happiness that she herself had experienced several times now since she had met him. His smile was so sincere that Katria felt her heart flutter just looking at him. With that, she leaned forward and embraced him once more, planting soft kisses on his neck as her hands tightly gripped his shoulders. Her lover likewise put his arms around her waist, caressing her sides. She sighed softly.

“I can’t wait to go home to Solitude with you… To start a life together…”

Cadmus, for once, seemed to be at a loss for words. Instead, he placed his hand under her chin and gave her another tender, passionate kiss which she gladly returned. Clearly, her answer meant the world to him and she again felt like the luckiest woman alive to have him as her partner. She deepened the kiss even further, exploring his mouth and intertwining her tongue with his. Had she not been utterly exhausted from the events of the day, she would have happily done more than just kiss. But as fatigue began to take hold of her body once more, she decided that intimacy could wait. For now, she was content merely being in her lover’s arms.

She looked up at him. “I have only one condition for when we return to Solitude, however…”

He gave her a surprised look. “Hmm? What is it?”

She smirked, running a hand over his chest. “When we get home, we are going to go up to our room, lock the door, and get in bed… And I’m going to have you all to myself for a few blissful hours.”

Even in his own tired state, Cadmus immediately caught on to what she meant. He blushed for a moment, only to then grin.

“Well, that is a deal I can easily agree to.”

Katria laughed, only to give her lover another tender kiss on the lips. She then settled against him again as they laid back on the bed, resting her face in the crook of his neck, an arm across his chest. Soon, she could feel her eyes drift shut and she knew her lover was not too far behind. She didn’t mind. They deserved it after everything they had experienced today. Rest, after a battle well fought, and perhaps some dreams that would be just as sweet as the day itself.

Tomorrow, they would wrap up their business in Markarth. She would arrange for Calcelmo to keep the Aetherial Crown and speak to Mia about handling the publishing house. They would gather up the rest of her research and get some supplies for the journey back. But most importantly, when all was said and done, they would get a carriage at the gates of the city and finally return to Solitude.

Solitude, or as she could now call it, _home_.


	14. Invasion of Proudspire Manor

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

Cadmus opened his eyes, feeling a little groggy as he was slowly coming out of a deep slumber. The sheets felt warm and smooth against his skin, a pleasant and familiar feeling. Outside of the stone walls, he could already hear the hustle and bustle of the city. He, however, was more focused on the sensation of gentle fingers stroking his face.

He looked up at Katria’s face, smiling. “Good morning to you, too.”

The Nord woman smiled back, looking positively radiant in the morning light. Her long, dark brown hair looked rather messy as it flowed over her shoulders and bare breasts. He was almost disappointed that the blankets covered the rest of his lover’s body, though he had finally been able to enjoy it in full the previous night…

They had arrived back in Solitude the day before, in the mid-afternoon. After a pleasant and thankfully uneventful journey, the two of them hadn’t wasted any time in making their way to Proudspire Manor. There, Cadmus had been enthusiastically greeted by his entire household. Sofie and Lucia especially were ecstatic to see him again and seemed to be even happier to see Katria as well. Jordis looked notably unsurprised by her presence and smiled as she gave the both of them a knowing nod.

After quickly dropping their luggage in his room and putting Katria’s notes in the safe there, the Imperial had sat down his children and housecarl in the living room. There, while enjoying a nice sweetroll and some coffee, he had briefly explained how the nature of his relationship with Katria had changed over the past few weeks, and told them that she would be living with them from now on. They had all taken the news quite well, and his daughters in particular seemed quite excited about their new housemate, though Cadmus swore he saw some knowing smirks on all their faces that hinted at a smug interrogation later on.

The rest of the afternoon and evening had been calm and relaxing. The first thing he and his lover did was to get out of their armor, as it had gotten uncomfortable to wear after a long journey. Cadmus brought the tub from the guest’s chambers into what was now their shared bedroom, and he and Katria both had a lovely hot bath in front of the fireplace. They had also played with Sofie and Lucia in their room, which involved Katria showing them some more advanced dagger techniques. At six in the evening, Cadmus headed down to the kitchen and cooked a simple meal of mammoth steak with grilled leeks, potatoes and mixed greens. And after dinner, he and Katria went for a short evening walk around the city with Meeko and Kit.

When it was bedtime for the children, Cadmus went to tuck them in and the moment he and Katria were certain they were settled in and drifting off, she had grabbed his hand and pulled him into their own bedroom. She quickly locked the door behind them before kissing him deeply and passionately, her hands already impatiently removing his clothes. His lover then pushed him backwards onto the bed as she crawled on top of him, ready to finally have what they had both been craving.

That night, he and Katria made love for the first time.

To say that the encounter had been satisfying was an understatement. In fact, he had found it nothing short of amazing and clearly, Katria had felt the same. She had voiced her pleasure quite loudly and he was thankful that the walls of Proudspire Manor were made of thick stone, so no one else was privy to their enjoyment.

Cadmus thought back to the moment when their bodies finally joined, the feeling of pure bliss when he entered her for the first time still fresh in his mind. The expression on Katria’s face mirrored his and as she rode him for all he was worth, he couldn’t even remember the last time he felt this good. Nor did he ever remember something quite as beautiful as her naked body, pale and toned, writhing against him while he thrust himself deep inside her. She had gripped him like a vice with each movement of her hips, all while moaning his name in ecstasy. Lost in pleasure, all he had been able to do was move along, his hands roaming across every sensitive spot of her being, until the two of them finally came apart.

It hadn’t been their only bout that night either. After lying together for a while, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, he had leaned over to kiss her again. It seemed the first tryst had not been enough for her and the next thing he knew, she had pulled him on top of her, her long, cream-skinned legs wrapped around his waist, practically demanding that he’d take her again. He’d been gentle the first time, not forgetting that all her bones had been broken when they first met, but it was clear that she found such sentiments unnecessary as she encouraged him to not hold back this time.

He had happily obliged and the next thing he knew, he was in her arms again, having her for all she was worth. She was wet and willing, moving perfectly in rhythm with him, their moans drowned out by passionate kisses. The feeling of her hands running down his back and her breasts against his chest only intensified the encounter as he felt himself drawing closer and closer to release. She whispered sweet words of encouragement in his ear, followed by her gasping and moaning his name yet again as he gave her everything he had. And when she came apart all around him once more, he was finally pushed to his limits and followed soon after.

It had been primal, passionate and intimate all at once and it was an experience he doubted he would ever forget.

Those memories were currently on his mind again as he looked at his lover. Even now, he still couldn’t quite believe that she was with him, in his bed, and that this time, she was here to stay. It was a thought he happily embraced.

Katria seemed equally happy. “So, did you sleep well, my love?”

He smiled. “Yes. Not that many dreams though. You left me quite spent.”

An impish grin was his response as she stroked his chest. “Well, I recall you giving it as good as you got. And I never once heard you complain.”

Cadmus smirked back. “I had no reason to. So, my love, shall we go get some breakfast before Jordis and the children think we’ve gone missing?”

As if on cue, his lover’s stomach made a growling noise. She snickered a little, kissing his lips one last time before swinging her legs over her side of the bed. He got out as well and after they both went for a quick cleanup at the washbasin and put some clothes on, they headed downstairs.

Jordis and the girls were already up and, no doubt assuming they would sleep in, had already started on breakfast. Cadmus found Sofie putting some fruit salads on the table as well as some pots of snowberry jam and honey, while Lucia walked in with bread rolls she got from the market. Jordis herself was in the kitchen area, cooking some fat, juicy sausages which spread a delicious smell throughout the house, with Meeko and Kit eyeing her intently for some scraps..

The housecarl smiled when she spotted them coming in. “Good morning, Cadmus. Good morning, Katria.”

Cadmus greeted her back. “Good morning, Jordis. Sorry we’re a bit late. We were tired and slept in a little.”

Jordis simply grinned, no doubt knowing the real reason why they were so tired, but choosing not to comment on it, especially not in front of the children. Lucia and Sofie, however, practically seemed to be bouncing around the room. They ran up to Katria, with Lucia holding what looked like a small bundle of mountain flowers of different colors. His daughter held it up to his lover, smiling.

“Sofie and I picked them this morning. We wanted to give you something. To welcome you to our home.”

The Imperial glanced at Katria. She simply looked at the girls, seemingly stunned. Within moments, however, her face turned to a warm, heartfelt and tender smile. She kneeled down to their height to carefully take the offered flowers from them. Then, she pulled them close in a loving hug.

“Thank you, sweethearts. That’s really kind of you! I will cherish them.”

Both Sofie and Lucia giggled, not at all uncomfortable with the physical contact. Then, unprompted, they both kissed her cheeks. This made Katria laugh, causing her to kiss their cheeks back. The girls didn’t mind and were practically jumping up and down when she released them. They rushed up to the table, imploring her and Cadmus to join them for breakfast.

He could only smile at that. He recalled just how content and at ease the girls had been with Katria during the last time she stayed with them for a few weeks, and he was glad to see that it hadn’t changed. His lover similarly seemed to enjoy his daughters’ company and he felt it was a good sign. He meant it when he said that he didn’t expect Katria to take a maternal role in their lives, just because he was their father. Still, from what he could see, there was a good chance that might still happen naturally.

Breakfast transpired in a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. The first thing Sofie and Lucia asked about was the Aetherium Forge, clearly remembering what Katria had told them about it. His lover was excited to bring them up to speed about the rest of their adventure and soon, his daughters were listening with starry eyes. They gasped at their encounters with the Falmer in Raldbthar, laughed at the story of the dragon and the giant— though Katria thankfully omitted what she and Cadmus had been doing at the time— and the girls practically swooned as she described the magnificence of the Aetherium Forge and showed them the sketches she had made of the Aetherial Crown.

She then followed it up by asking them about what they had been doing all this time as well. Immediately, the girls talked about all their lessons, the things they had learned about the history and geography of Tamriel. There had been a lot of focus on the battles of Tiber Septim, including the one at Old Hroldan, and both Cadmus and Katria were happy to weigh in on the topic. Lucia specifically mentioned that she was doing well at singing and that she had made her first effective healing potion at the alchemy table. Sofie had managed to actually enchant a dagger and had beaten Kayd in a fight with wooden swords, something she was very proud of. The Imperial had to admit he was very proud too, of both his daughters, and glad he was going to be able to spend some time with them again.

Breakfast was almost at an end, however, when Sofie piped up. “Oh, we almost forgot to tell Papa about the secret room!”

Cadmus paused halfway through a bite of his fruit salad. “Secret room?”

Jordis chuckled. “Sofie and Lucia were helping me tidy up the house a bit. We were cleaning in the basement, when they suddenly discovered a strange crack behind one of the bookcases. We moved it and turns out there was a walled in door behind it. There’s a room in this house that we didn’t know about!”

That information was enough for him to stop eating. “So there was an entire room in this house, hidden, behind a bookcase?”

Suddenly, memories of the murder he’d helped investigate at Hjerim one year ago came flooding back.

Katria seemed to have the exact same look on her face, except she blurted out the one thing that was also on his mind. “Please tell me there aren’t any bodies in there...”

Cadmus was about to give her an admonishing look for saying that out loud in front of his children, only for Lucia to smile. “There weren’t. We checked.”

He turned to his youngest daughter, about to ask her why in Nirn an eight-year-old child had decided to confirm this for herself, when Sofie pitched in. “I think it was an old storage room, Papa. It had a lot of empty kegs and vats. Jordis did ask Styrr to come by and exorcise it though. That was really fun to see!”

Jordis nodded. “Styrr said everything was safe. He assumes it was a storage room for beverages. Makes sense, since the house apparently once belonged to a rich diplomat from High Rock before it was abandoned…”

Once again, Cadmus was severely doubting his capacity as a parent for his children to be so nonchalant about potential corpses in the walls. Though he supposed that Skyrim was not the kind of place that would allow a child’s mind to remain innocent for long. He sighed, figuring that he might as well deal with this right now and just trust that the local priest of Arkay was right when he said there was nothing to it.

“Alright, let’s finish breakfast and then we’ll have a look at this...”

After breakfast, the entire household went down into the basement. It turned out that Jordis and his daughters had spoken the truth. Behind a very old, weathered and mangled door— no doubt the result of his housecarl breaking it open— was a rather spacious room. It was filled to the brim with bottles, kegs and vats and the markings and letters on them indeed indicated that they were used for storing alcohol. Of course, looks could be deceiving.

Katria seemed to want to test that theory for herself. She walked into the room, clutching a dagger she had picked up in the armory. She started moving past all the barrels, nudging them ever so slightly. She paused when one seemed to feel rather heavy and carefully pried it open. They were immediately met with a sloshing sound and the familiar smell of alcohol filled the air.

The Nord woman nodded. “Definitely drinks in this one. Smells like Stros M’Kai Rum…”

Almost immediately, she grabbed an empty mug from one of the shelves, wiped the dust off it and filled it up with the smallest amount. She brought it to her lips and drank. Cadmus waited for her reaction, but she turned to him with an amazed smile.

“It’s still good, too.”

He quietly absorbed that information. “Well, beverages like rum or wine can be preserved for around twenty years before they go bad… So I guess the previous owner moved out before then.”

He felt around for another full keg, grabbed a mug of his own and opened the tab. He took a taste of the drink and frowned. “Make that within two or three years. This is Colovian Brandy. Not spoiled either.”

Soon, the entire family was rummaging through the room, trying to determine the contents of what was still there. Needlessly to say, Cadmus made sure his daughters didn’t participate in any tasting, but their sharp eyes proved a great help in reading faded labels on bottles and kegs. Jordis did participate in tasting the contents and all of them were shocked to find that most of it was still in a good state.

About half an hour in, Katria let out an overwhelmed sigh. “Beer, ale, wine, brandy, mead, jagga, gin, shein, greef, sujamma, matze… I think this man had about every drink in Tamriel… Makes you wonder why he boarded it up and left it all behind...”

Cadmus chuckled. “I guess he either hosted a lot of parties or had a severe drinking problem. Which would be pretty impressive here in Skyrim…”

Thankfully, the two Nord women snorted in laughter, not offended at all, though Jordis soon spoke up. “So what should we do with all of this?”

The Imperial didn’t answer right away. That _was_ a good question. He loved his drinks, especially wines, ales and brandies. He also knew Katria worshipped her meads and Jordis always liked a cold beer at the end of the day. But even he was sure that the three of them could not drink their way through this stock in their entire lifetime. Not without dying of alcohol poisoning anyway.

Still, it seemed like a waste to just leave it here and let it go bad.

“Corpulus would probably like this.”

Cadmus looked at Sofie as she seemed to study one of the vats. “What’s that, sabre cub?”

His oldest daughter looked at him. “He sells drinks for a living. If some of this is still good, he will probably like it.”

She said it with the usual childlike innocence, but the Imperial realized that his daughter had a point. No doubt a cellar space full of beverages was far more useful to an inn in Skyrim’s capital than it was to him. What’s more, many of these drinks were quite exotic and usually hard to come by in the province. He could think of many travelers who’d like to drink something from home rather than the local beverages, delicious as they were.

He grinned at his daughter. “I think you might be onto something, Sofie. You’re right. Maybe we should bring Corpulus here and see if he’d like to take some off our hands.”

His oldest lit up at her suggestion being validated and suddenly, Lucia chipped in. “And when it’s empty, maybe Katria can have this room for her work!”

Cadmus tilted his head quizzically. “Hmm?”

His youngest continued. “Katria has a lot of Dwarven stuff, right? Stuff she needs to put somewhere and write about? A place to keep books? She could have this room for that. You know, Papa, like you have your forge and armory.”

Once more, Cadmus found himself elated. Not just because he was raising two smart, perceptive young women who already liked working out what to do in unexpected situations, but mainly because it seemed that they had already thoroughly accepted that Katria was here to stay and were eager to make this her house as well.

He gave her a proud smile. “I think that’s a splendid idea! So Katria, what do you think?”

One look at his lover and he knew she was on board. “Well, it’s a nice, spacious room. And if it preserved a whole buttery full of beverages, then it will be perfect for artifacts. I would like this room for my work, if you are all fine with it. If we can get all of these kegs out, I’ll get to work on furnishing it.”

Happy to know an agreement was reached so quickly, he assessed her. “So, what would you need exactly in terms of furnishings?”

The Nord woman thought for a moment. “Well, first we’re going to need some lights in here. And of course, a desk and chair, so I can write my notes. A workbench, definitely. Some shelving, a bookcase and maybe a large safe for the extremely valuable or vulnerable stuff. Those are the primary things I can think of now.”

Cadmus thought for a moment. “The carpenter here probably has most of these things in stock, but we may have to commission him for the workbench. As for a safe, the blacksmith will probably sell one.”

His lover nodded. “Alright, I suppose that will be my to-do list for today then. The sooner I’m set to write some books, the better.”

He smiled. “That settles it. First, I’m going to see how much of this might be interesting to Corpulus. Then, we need to get rid of the empty barrels and carry out whatever we can’t sell. Then, we should focus on getting this room furnished.”

Katria seemed to like that idea and Jordis already seemed willing to lend a hand, but the girls seemed most excited of all. “Can we help too?”

The Imperial smiled. While he liked the fact that his daughters were willing to get involved in household chores, he wasn’t exactly going to make them do any heavy lifting. Even so, he could think of some ways they could contribute without them getting in the way.

“Yes. You can help take out any empty bottles and all the mugs and flagons. And you can come along to help Katria pick her furniture if you’d like.”

The cheers he got in response quickly indicated that both Sofie and Lucia were on board with these plans. As such, he decided it was time to get to work. First, to see if someone would pay for at least part of this mess. Then, to turn the superfluous into the useful.

The rest of the day was eventful, but exciting and spent entirely on dealing with the newly discovered, unexpected space in the house. The first, and seemingly most uncertain, part of the operation went surprisingly well. Corpulus was very interested in coming to see Cadmus’s claim of a chamber full of unusual beverages and left his son Sorex in charge back at The Winking Skeever as he went along to check it out. He ended up buying nearly the entire stock and advised them to try and sell the rest to his fellow Thane Bryling or Falk Firebeard at the Blue Palace, or get in contact with a representative of the East Empire Company at the docks. Cadmus spoke to all the suggested parties, who fortunately proved very eager as well, which then left him and his family with a remarkably low amount of empty barrels, kegs and bottles to remove from his house. Those were shipped off to the local carpenter and glassmith, who were grateful for the materials.

He gave all proceeds of the cleaning effort to Katria. She had initially refused, determined to pay her own way. He had, however, insisted that he didn’t need the money and he figured they might as well reinvest it in the room itself. That was thankfully enough to convince her and after that, the remainder of their time could be spent on finding furnishings.

Any wooden materials were easy enough. The carpenter already had some nice, solid oak desks that had been built recently, as well as some bookcases and shelves. The workbench had to be ordered, as he had suspected, but the man was quite happy to do so when they readily offered the price for a quality one.

The next stop was the blacksmith. Even though Beirand’s days were mostly filled with creating armor and weapons for the Imperial Legion, he somehow still found the time for household items as well. A safe was obtained easily enough and as they talked about what they needed it for, he suggested they’d go to Bits and Pieces, the general store of his wife Sayma, for both excavation tools and wall sconces. His suggestion had proven worthwhile and by the end of the day, what was once a hidden room with too much alcohol had turned into the beginnings of a wonderful workspace.

Dinner, which consisted of a rustic, savory Cyrodilic pie filled with mixed greens, briarhearts, cheese and milk curds, dried ham and eggs, was enjoyed by all after a hard day’s work. As the household ate, Sofie and Lucia excitedly questioned Katria on what she planned to do first once “her room” was done and she was happy to tell them that she needed to write some books about the things she had already found, and then maybe explore some other ruins when she was done. For now though, her plan was to remain here in Solitude and settle in, something that pleased them both greatly.

Soon, everyone was engaged in a discussion about Dwemer ruins and the things that could be found there and Cadmus found himself quietly happy. Katria fit in well here. She and Jordis had already struck up a friendship last time she was here and the children adored her as much as she did them. And while there was nothing supernatural to it, with the discovery of the new room, it almost seemed as if even the house itself was opening up to her, welcoming her to live within its walls.

She belonged here.

That feeling was echoing throughout every part of his being. This woman, now so much more than the stranger he’d met by chance, was meant to be here. Like him, she could be at home between these walls and, Divines be kind, she would hopefully be here for a long time. Or at least, for as long as he and his uncertain future were still allowed to remain on Nirn…

That was a good thought. A comforting thought.

That night, the two of them were in their bedroom, talking about the progress they had made with Katria’s new study and reflecting on the first day of their new life together. They were both tired, but at the same time immensely happy. Katria leaned in to nuzzle him affectionately, before kissing him on the lips. Cadmus gladly returned the kiss, albeit more passionately this time, and before he knew it, he was back in her arms again, spilling himself deep inside her once more. And when she lovingly moaned his name as they both achieved sweet release, those earlier thoughts of belonging were only confirmed in his mind. It was with that wonderful feeling that he went to sleep, happily nodding off with her warm and soothing presence at his side.

* * *

His dreams were quiet that night, pleasantly uneventful and free of nightmares. He was strolling across what used to be Talos Plaza, the way he remembered it when he was a young man. He was wearing his Legionnaire’s uniform, staring up at the statue of Akatosh. Around him, the people of the city, some of them long gone in his reality, went about their business and the air was alive with the sound of conversation, bartering, singing, working and barking.

Barking…

Meeko was barking.

That realization, rooting itself firmly in the dreamlike state of his mind, brought Cadmus back to the world of the living. The barking was coming from downstairs, but it was loud enough and sounded angry enough that he immediately knew something was not right. He shot up from the bed, quickly putting his sleeping trousers back on and reaching for his sword as he cast Candlelight. The bright light awakened his lover, but before she could ask what was going on, he heard Meeko whimper loudly, followed by Kit angrily screaming and scratching, which then resulted in a man’s blood-curdling shriek.

There was someone in his house.

Katria seemed to be on full alert now as well, throwing one of his shirts over her head and grabbing her daggers off the nearby nightstand. Her eyes flashed towards the door and then back at him. They looked at each other and it was clear they had the same thought.

They needed to get to Sofie and Lucia before doing anything else.

It was at that very moment that the door to their room swung open. In Cadmus’s mind, time slowed and a million thoughts were processed all at once. These were not people he knew. Anyone he knew would have knocked or called out his name, especially if they were from the Legion. Whoever was behind the door meant harm to him and his family. What kind of harm he didn’t know, but he was going to swing first and ask questions later.

A large man practically charged into the room, battleaxe raised like an executioner. In the light of his spell, Cadmus spotted he was clad from head to toe in Daedric armor, but he’d been in the Legion long enough to know how to deal with heavily armored enemies. His arms moved by themselves, under the battleaxe, driving his Ebony sword between that small area between the helmet and collar of the cuirass.

Immediately, he was met with a choking noise, somewhere between agony and surprise. No doubt the invader thought he’d be asleep and hadn’t expected a fight just stepping into the room. Now, he paid for that mistake with a swift, undignified death, as his heavily armed body flopped to the ground with a loud, metallic clang.

“By the Eight!”

The shocked, startled and angry voice of a woman drew his attention. He spotted her in the landing, along with some others. Bandits, judging by the looks of them. For a second, he wondered how in Nirn they had managed to get into his house, even into Solitude, but not for long. All he knew was that these bastards had picked the wrong house.

Katria seemed to be on exactly the same page. Before he could have even acted, she charged forward, tackling one of them to the ground and sinking her daggers into the man’s chest. Cadmus was right behind her, descending on the woman by thrusting his sword into her stomach before yanking it back out. The last person on the landing, an Elf woman from the looks of it, screamed the curse-ridden scream of those who realized their plans had gone awry. The Imperial noticed in horror there were several voices downstairs answering her, but the invader didn’t get to do anything more as Katria slammed into her, yanked her war axe out of her hand and buried it in her skull.

That was the moment Cadmus heard his girls scream as well.

He noticed now the door to their room was open. Two more of the invaders were in there shouting profanities as his daughters struggled against their rough hands and knives. He could see the hand of one of these bandits was bleeding profusely, bite marks visible. They were trying their best to hold them down on the beds as they kicked, screamed and bit and scratched their assaillants so hard they had drawn blood. He noticed their pillows were on the floor and he figured the bastards had tried to smother them in their beds, which had failed when Meeko’s loud barking had woken everyone up. 

A fresh surge of rage shot through his body as he burst in. He grabbed the one nearest to him, a muscular Orc woman who had her hands on Lucia’s throat. He pulled her back, slamming her against the wall. The other one, a Redguard man, noticed him coming in and stepped away from Sofie, drawing his own sword. Cadmus bared his teeth at him, calling to his children.

“Sofie, Lucia, look away!”

He didn’t know why he did that, as his children jumped off their beds and seemingly cowered near their chest of toys. Why he felt the need to spare them the horror even though it was already crashing down around them, he wasn’t sure. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from protecting them, even now. With that urge at the forefront of his mind, he charged at the man, who grabbed his sword with both hands and made an angry lunge at his unprotected chest. Thinking quickly, the Imperial side-stepped, causing the sharp Nordic steel to sail past him. He then charged forward, grabbing the man into a chokehold before slitting his throat with his sword.

The Orc woman had gotten up in the meantime, coming at him with a mace. She never made it, as Katria leaped onto her like an angry cat and plunged one of her daggers into her temple. As she pried it loose from her quarry’s skull, Cadmus didn’t hesitate and quickly scooped up both his daughters as he rushed out the room with them. He had no idea how many people there were in his house and why they were here. Whether they had gotten to Jordis as well and whether she was even still alive. What happened to Meeko and Kit. But all he knew was that his first order of business was getting his children out of here before doing anything else. And as he looked over the stone railing of the landing to see the unguarded side door slightly ajar, he had an idea.

He turned to Sofie and Lucia as he put them down and pushed them behind him. “Listen closely. Stay behind me as we go down the stairs. Once we make it there, you’re going to run through the side door to Castle Dour to get help, alright? Just keep running. Don’t stop until you’re there.”

He expected them to protest or at least cry. Yet the both looked at them with him with a frightening clarity and resolve, the kind of maturity that children their age shouldn’t have. At those moments, it once again hit him that for all his attempts to restore and preserve their childhood innocence, they had already dealt with matters of suffering and survival and were far more prepared for things like these than any child should be.

At that moment, he heard thunderous footsteps coming up the stairs and more shouting. Katria held her daggers at the ready and he grabbed his sword as well. Keeping his girls behind them, they readied themselves for whatever came up the stairs. Cadmus could feel his stomach drop at the clattering of weaponry. Knowing that these numbers and the unprotected state of him, his lover and his daughters would not be in their favor, he decided to play as dirty as their assailants.

The moment the first of them came up the stairs, he raised his free hand and conjured a stream of fire. A woman rushing up the stairs was caught in the initial blast and toppled back shrieking. Katria joined in to cast a similar spell and soon, they were pushing back against their attackers as they made their way down the stairs. The invaders backed away, cursing and threatening, knowing all too well that getting too close meant being cooked alive in their metal armors.

Soon, they had reached the first floor and when Cadmus saw that the side door was still open. It was now or never. Not taking his eyes off the four bloodthirsty bandits in front of him, he pushed his children towards it. 

“Go! Just run! Don’t stop! Go to—”

A terrible, stinging blow in the back cut off whatever else he wanted to say. Without warning, all sensation withdrew from his body. Suddenly, the floor was coming closer, but he couldn’t even feel any pain as he hit it. Only panic, as he looked up to see Katria’s motionless body beside him and those of his children as well.

Unable to move, his mind raced. All around him, silhouettes were closing in, weapons out, laughing and shouting. He could hear the unsheathing of steel all around him and shadows engulfed him and his family. He tried to move again, inwardly screaming for his body to move, but it remained limp and motionless. Helpless, unable to protect them from what was to come. 

In that moment, a horrific realization took over.

They were going to die here.

"We can't find it!"

Angry, hoarse shouting seemed to stop the invaders in their tracks. Behind him, he heard loud footsteps speeding up the stairs. A young Breton woman covered in warpaint practically leaped over him as she angrily shouted these words at the others. In her hands, Cadmus noticed a staff of paralysis and he growled inwardly. That had to be the one that got them. She must have cast her spell from the basement area, where she and some of her compatriots had holed up.

Again, he thought about Jordis. Was she dead? Had they killed her in her sleep? Or had this woman used the staff first, after which they killed her with no resistance? At this point, he feared the worst.

Still, even as he fought the effects of the spell, he could see the Breton woman was agitated. “It’s not down there. Searched through every damn stack of papers! Nothing!”

She practically shrieked these words, obnoxiously so, and the others yelled back at her. “Damn… Are the others still down there, Honore?”

The Breton snarled. “They’re dead! The blonde bitch killed Noldinor, Tareethus and J'rhaego all by herself! This was supposed to be easy! And now they’re dead over some words about some stinking Dwemer ruins!"

Some sense of sensation returned in Cadmus’s body as the spell wore off, but that statement stunned him. So Jordis, if she was still alive, had not gone down quietly, even taking out several of these bastards herself. What’s more, this woman just let it slip that they were not looking for just any kind of valuables. They were looking for Katria’s writings…

Suddenly, he had a terrifying feeling about what was actually going on.

The Breton cursed under her breath. “Any luck upstairs?”

Her companion angrily gestured to the burned up corpse near the stairs. “What do you think? These wretches killed Cinras, Jinan, Uhlgra, Basile, Ubbe and Rasheed! Audhild just died of her burns! That’s ten of us dead and we still don’t have it!"

Suddenly, another frustrated voice was heard, from the dark recesses of the living area. "Forget this! Forget all of this and just bring them here! All of them, the housecarl too! Hold off on killing them for now!"

Immediately, Cadmus felt his gut twist. He recognized that voice. After what had happened only a few days ago, there was no way he could not…

At that moment, he found himself yanked up by one of the remaining invaders— mercenaries he now suspected— and was dragged further into the living area, where both he and his family were put on their knees, him and Katria’s hands held behind their backs, while the children’s arms were forced to the floor. Taron Dreth was sitting in one of the chairs, looking like an impatient, petulant king on his throne. Even in the terrible light, the Imperial could see he was anything but pleased. But then, from the sound of it, the same went for his hired underlings.

The giant Orc that was holding him up growled at the Dark Elf. “This better be worth it, Dreth! You said this was going to be easy! Ten of our comrades are dead, Hleleyna had chunks ripped out of her by that rotten dog and that damned fox took out Sees-All-Fortune’s eye! If you plan to skimp on payment…”

Even in his desperate state, Cadmus felt like laughing viciously at that last one. Not that he felt like that for long. He noticed now that both Meeko and Kit were nowhere to be seen. He recalled the dog whimpering at one point and Kit screeching desperately. He was starting to fear the worst…

Taron dismissed him with an impatient wave of the hand. “Yes, yes! I will pay you all, Lurz! Double, triple if you need! And you can steal whatever you want from this wretched n’wah. He won’t be needing it once we’re done here!”

That seemed to calm the Orc, Lurz apparently, somewhat. Cadmus now noticed the mercenary was carrying his Ebony sword as well. He looked it over with admiration, before putting it against the Imperial’s throat, while his fellow mercenaries did the same with their weapons to Katria and their petrified daughters.

“I call dibs on the sword then. It’s a fine make. Will make this as easy as slaughtering pigs...”

At this stage, Cadmus could flex his fingers again, but as he tried to think how to get out of this situation, he noticed how Jordis was dragged into view on the right of him by another one of the mercenaries, a female Imperial whom Lurz addressed as Messalina, with a dagger to her throat. She was just as limp as him and looked bloodied and bruised, but as he focused on her face, he could see that she was still breathing. Thank the Nine for small favors…

His gratitude barely lasted, as Dreth suddenly rose from his chair and stepped in front of Katria. “Well, hello there, my dear Katria. My apologies for waking you up at this late hour, but I just had to see you again. Especially after our… ill parting back in Markarth.”

To her credit, his lover didn’t respond and simply glared at him. Her apparent lack of fear or begging seemed to displease the Dunmer. He clenched his jaw as he stared at her with his arms crossed.

“Oh come on, did you really think that what happened at the Dwemer Museum would not have any consequences? That I would simply hide in a hole and let you reduce me to a laughingstock? No one makes a fool of Taron Dreth and gets away with it! And if I can’t have the glory of the Aetherium Forge, then neither can you!”

Even in this horrific situation, the Imperial almost wanted to laugh. He’d met scant few people who were this delusional, this narcissistic and this inhumanely resentful. It took a special kind of self-centered, childish and psychopathic mind to even think he was blameless in everything that happened, but somehow, he managed and it would be darkly hilarious if his entire family wasn’t about to die by his hand.

As it was, Katria was actually smirking too. Mockingly so, almost pushing into the scimitar at her throat to make sure Dreth saw it. This only seemed to enrage him and suddenly, he lashed out, striking her in the face.

“Your notes! Where are they? This hearth needs kindling!”

The sight of it was enough for white hot rage to boil up inside of him. For a moment, he nearly leaned into the blade as he wanted to bolt up, rip off Taron’s head with his bare hands, put it on his mantle, stab the remaining mercenaries with a mammoth tusk and then go back to sleep. The Orc, however, held firm and it was this, along with the sharp Ebony sword against his skin, that made him realize the paralysis spell had worn off. Still, how much was that going to do with his hands behind his back and a weapon that could slice his throat with a single wrong move?

His lover, however, barely seemed to flinch at the assault. “You still hit like an old woman with the rattles. But since you asked so nicely… How about you go down the stairs? My personal workspace is there. On my desk, there is a large chunk of solid Dwemer metal. You can lubricate it with honey and then stick it right where your own Red Mountain rumbles!”

Her answer, spoken almost casually with icy venom, was enough to send Dreth right off the edge. He was trembling now with useless fury. The fact that Katria was on her knees, but still not showing any fear or weakness was unbearable to him and he practically spat as he responded.

“I will not ask you twice, Katria! Tell me where your notes are or Sees-All-Fortune here will slit your throat, as slowly as possible.”

As if to demonstrate, the Argonian pushed the scimitar closer to her throat until it sliced through the skin and drew blood. Katria’s breath hitched briefly, but she quickly recovered. Again, she looked him in the eye, not blinking once.

“You just did. Would you prefer a horker tusk instead? I think there’s one down in the alchemy lab. Now can you please tell Sees-All-Fortune to put me out of my misery? It saves me time.”

Cadmus was not a fool. He knew, deep down, that Katria was terrified. Still, she seemed to catch on that for all his bluster, Taron would not actually kill her. He could, but his priority was to destroy her life’s work in front of her eyes and make sure she’d suffer. First, however, he had to find it and as long as she kept her mouth shut, much less mention that it was locked in a safe, he was not getting any further.

By now, the Dunmer was practically foaming at the mouth. His hand reared back, planning to slap her again and she simply looked at him with an even expression, practically inviting him to. Realizing that she had no intention to cave, he abandoned the idea with an angry swipe. He started to pace around, only to give her a wicked sneer.

“Fine then! If your own pathetic life means so little, I guess I have to raise the stakes for you!”

He then pointed to Sofie and Lucia, held by the female Dunmer and Breton, and flashed a nasty grin. “One last time, Katria. Tell me where the notes are, or I will kill these children as painfully as I can.”

Cadmus felt like he was plunged into the icy waters of the Sea of Ghosts. Before he could stop it, he found himself letting out a wrathful scream. Jordis joined, threatening to feed Dreth his own guts if he touched them. It was at that moment that his girls finally found the strength to sob. They started to struggle and whimper, only for their captors to force them against the ground harder, both seemingly taking delight in their fear and shaking. The Imperial wanted nothing more than to crack the heads of these women open against the wall and his rage was palpable enough that it clearly delighted the Dark Elf as he turned to a horrified, white-faced Katria.

“That’s right. If you continue to be stubborn, I’ll ask Hleleyna and Honore here to cut them. Maybe somewhere where they don’t die right away, like the belly or the thigh. I’ll make them bleed out slowly and you get to hear them scream. You get to see and hear them die slowly, all for your precious research…”

This time, Katria didn’t respond. She simply stared at him wide-eyed, actual hints of terror visible on her face. Even in the dark room, Cadmus could see the Dunmer drinking it in, reveling in it. He crouched down to her level, face inches from her, a celebratory smirk on his face.

“Well, Katria? Do you feel like cooperating? Or are your lover’s little bastards worth less than some ink on paper?”

The Nord woman said nothing. Instead, her head was bowed, her long dark hair obscuring her face. The Imperial heard her breathing heavily, almost as if she was on the verge of crying. It took all of his strength for him to not break then and there, as his mind once again worked in vain to help them find a way out of their situation. Desperation now permeated the air and Dreth seemed to swell with satisfaction. He leaned in even closer, eager to hear the desperate noises she made under her breath.

“Well, I’m waiting… I’m sure those little girls would love to know if their new stepmother will let them d—”

That last word was suddenly cut off, only to morph into a hair-raising shriek that Cadmus felt all the way into his bones. Without warning, Dreth was pulling back as if yanked by some unseen force, an arc of blood flinging through the air. His back hit the ground first and the next thing the Imperial saw was Taron desperately trying to scramble to his feet, half-weeping as one hand clutched the side of his head, blood pouring out from between his fingers.

Shocked, he looked at Katria. His lover hadn’t moved, still held back by the Argonian whose grip had apparently increased in astonishment. In her mouth, she held what looked like a raw chunk of meat, rivulets of dark blood dripping from her chin and onto her shirt. Then, almost as if she merely ate something bad, she spat. The fleshy substance landed on the floor in front of her and even from where he sat, Cadmus recognized the pointy shape of an Elven ear.

He barely had the time to process this before his lover turned to the Dunmer again, eyes blazing. “Walk right into Oblivion, Dreth! You’re going to kill us all anyway, no matter what I do! And you can’t even do that yourself, you wretched, parasitic coward!”

Dreth said nothing this time. He simply glared at her, still whimpering. In that moment, all bluster and any semblance of power was gone. The only thing left was the kind of man Katria always described him as: a weak, thin-skinned manipulator who didn’t have the fortitude to fight his own battles or deal with his own setbacks.

The Nord woman was nowhere near done either. “Listen well, Dreth! With Shor as my witness, if you even think to hurt these girls, I _will_ fight and I _will_ survive a slit throat long enough to rip out yours with my teeth! I will go to Sovngarde with your head in my hands, so we can mount it in the Hall of Valor! Do you want to try, you craven skeever? Try some resolve and balls for once in your miserable life and see if it helps!”

It was at this stage that the Dunmer had shakily gotten to his legs again, howling the vengeful howl of the humiliated. “Bitch, you will pay for this! No more mercy! Tell me where it is or I will have my men carve your lover’s bastards up piece by piece and show you every body part as they bleed to death. Then I’ll give them a turn with you and the housecarl, while that Imperial dog can watch before we kill him slowly! And then we’ll kill the blond bitch while keeping you for last! You’ll be a quivering wreck begging for death once I’m done with you! Tell me and at least it will be quick!”

With every threat spilling from the Elf’s mouth, the Imperial’s urge to tear off his jaw increased. This seemed to be no different for Katria, as she shouted more curses at him, with Jordis chiming in on the right. The tension in the air was thickening, as with every defiant insult, Dreth and the mercenaries seemed to grow even more hostile, no doubt aching to make good on the promised threats the Dunmer uttered.

As the situation escalated ever further, Cadmus sensed he could fully move again. Again, he tried to think. Think of any way he could turn this situation around without it resulting in him, his daughters, Katria or Jordis getting killed immediately. He looked over to Katria as she raged against an ever more incensed Taron. All attention was on them now, as the mercenaries looked at them in anger, impatience and frustration. So much so that they had not noticed how Sofie had raised her hand off the floor somewhat and seemed to be fiddling with something tucked in the hem of her sleeping clothes. The same was true for Lucia, as the girls seemed to try and work something out with eye contact alone. He focused to see just what it was and his eyes widened.

Daggers.

Instantly, his mind went back to earlier. He recalled the girls running off as he dealt with their attackers, moving towards their chest. He felt like an idiot for not thinking about it. Both of them kept their Ebony daggers there and seeing what had just happened, it made sense that they had wanted to arm themselves in this situation. But of course, these cowards had not at all considered that the children might be armed and had not checked.

Suddenly, a dangerous and desperate idea started forming in his head, but he had no other choice.

As his oldest daughter carefully looked around, the two of them made eye contact. Cadmus’s heart broke at the obvious fear in her eyes and the streaks of tears on her cheeks. His chest hurt at seeing her like this, having to ask this of her, but he would need her to be strong if this was going to work. Trying his best to motion his head without raising suspicion, he indicated the dagger and nodded.

Almost immediately, Sofie’s hand clasped around it and she looked at him for confirmation. She then turned to Lucia beside her, seemingly mouthing the same thing to her, unheard over the screams of Dreth, Jordis and Katria. His oldest then looked back at him, trying her best to steady her trembling hand. Again, the Imperial gave her a reassuring look, moving his lips in an exaggerated manner while keeping his voice down.

“Wait. Till. I. Say. Now.”

Sofie nodded, then quickly turned to Lucia to convey the same. His youngest seemingly choked back another sob, but also readied herself. Just praying they would actually have the strength and courage needed, Cadmus took a deep breath and called out.

“Wait!”

He was startled by the loudness of his own voice, but it did the trick. Everyone in the room fell silent, their attention turned to him. He spoke again, trying his best to keep his anger down and sound even more desperate than he already felt.

“I’ll tell. I’ll tell you where it is. Just don’t hurt them!”

Immediately, the room had turned quiet. All eyes were on him now, including those of Katria. His lover looked at him in utmost shock, almost disbelief as she shook her head. He swiftly glanced back at her, trying to nod and smile, hoping with all his might that he could hint to her that he had a plan.

His apparent admission of weakness seemed to change things for Dreth as well. Suddenly, all of his futile ire had disappeared and his noxious smugness returned. He straightened his back, practically forgetting about the bleeding hole that used to be his ear. The Dunmer strutted over to him, like a general inspecting his army, with a nauseating cockiness and confidence that made Cadmus sick to the core.

Taron flashed Katria a grin. “Well, it seems your dumb muscle has more sense than you, although that is not a high bar to set, frankly. It must sting, Katria, to realize you’re once again not someone’s first priority.”

For the umpteenth time since the night had gone to the dogs, Cadmus wanted nothing more than to make him suffer. Still, he held his tongue, watching as the Elf came closer, ignoring everything in his haze of perceived victory. The Imperial still couldn’t resist giving him a glare and it was clear Dreth enjoyed every minute of it.

“So talk, dog. I might even consider leaving your little girls alive.”

The Imperial gnashed his teeth for a moment, composing himself. “They’re in a safe. Katria’s notes are in a safe in her workspace, on the basement level.”

In that instant, he could feel Katria’s eyes burn into his face. After all, they both knew the notes were in a safe, but not the one he mentioned. The safe in the former storage room was bought only today and they had not yet bothered moving the documents there. Katria’s notes were still securely locked up in their bedroom. His lover had now caught on that he was lying through his teeth and she likely suspected that he was up to something.

Taron, however, didn’t suspect anything in the slightest, as he made an unsatisfied “tsk” noise. “A safe? Why, my cowardly Imperial, I’m afraid that information is rather useless to me then. After all, if it’s in a safe, I can’t get to it, now can I? I’m afraid that will not save your little girls.”

Cadmus responded before he could say anything else or make good on his promise to hurt his children. “I’ll tell you where the key is.”

That hideous smile on the Dunmer’s face got wider at that hint of sincere desperation. He knelt down to his level, almost mockingly so and suddenly, a sadistic thrill crept into the Imperial’s brain. Dreth had not realized it yet, but he might just be making this even easier. He watched as the man faced him, leaning far enough away that he couldn’t pull the same trick as Katria, only to speak again in a gloating tone.

“Now there’s a good n’wah. So tell me, where is this key?”

Cadmus knew it was now or never. Pretending the agony in his voice was due to impending betrayal rather than worry, he took a deep breath. He filled every little inch of his burning lungs, every muscle in his body taut and ready, before looking the Elf straight in the eye and giving him the one answer he truly deserved.

_“FUS!!! RO!!! DAH!!!”_

The effect was instant and devastating. Before Dreth truly knew what hit him, he flew across the room like he was hit with a Giant’s club, slamming against the stone wall behind the kitchen area. It was so swift and sudden that everyone else jumped in shock and in that fraction of a second, he noticed that the Orc holding him had slackened his grip on him in shock.

“What in—?!”

That was all he got to say as Cadmus yanked himself sideways, away from the Ebony blade, with all his might and screamed at the top of his lungs. “Now!”

Almost immediately, a pair of female voices let out harrowing screams next to him, shrill and agonized to the point of making his ears ring. A swift glance had him wince as he saw Sofie had stabbed her captor in the heel cord, while Lucia had sliced open the inside of the woman’s thigh, before they leaped from the floor to get out of range. Behind him, the Orc seemed to realize what was going on and raised his sword, but Cadmus, now free from his grasp, was quick as he reached up, grabbed his former captor’s sword arm and then cast the most devastating lightning spell he could muster.

Holding fast as the mercenary was now roasted alive with horrific howls of pain, he used the other hand to fire a stream of ice at the others. They dodged on instinct, letting go of their prey if they had not already. That proved to be their undoing, as Katria instantly spun around to release a flash of flame into her attacker’s face, before summoning a sword from the nearby shelf using Telekinesis to hack him to pieces. Jordis went for an even simpler approach, snatching a dagger off the Imperial mercenary’s own belt and viciously stabbing her in the neck, chest, throat, belly and any other area she could land a hit on.

The female Breton, limping from the injury on her thigh, responded by trying to use her staff of paralysis against him, forcing Cadmus to use the Orc’s dying body for a shield, but this didn’t last long as his children ran at her with a vicious war cry and tackled her to the ground. Sickening stabbing noises soon followed and as the Dunmer mercenary came to her aid, yanking Lucia off her companion and trying to drive a sword through her back, Katria leaped at her. Both rolled across the floor, losing their weapons in the process, but as the mercenary tried to sit up and cast a spell, the Nord woman was already on her feet, racing up and kicking her in the face. She then brought one of her feet down with full force, breaking her opponent’s neck with a single, sickening crunch.

He barely had time to catch his breath, however, when he noticed a bright orange flash from the corner of his eye. Immediately, he threw himself to the ground, only for a fireball to soar over his head to hit the opposite wall. He looked in the direction it came from and growled.

Dreth had gotten back up again at this point, encased in a flame cloak with another fireball at the ready. It was only now that he was aware the entirety of his entourage was dead and that he was now faced with those he had intended to kill all by himself. Not asleep and caught unaware, but armed, prepared and, most of all, out for his blood. But mostly, Cadmus saw Dreth was looking at him, pale like a Wisp Mother.

“By the gods… You… You are...”

The Imperial stared at him without a trace of emotion. “ _Yes. I am._ ”

For a moment, it looked like his adversary would die of fright, but fate was not that kind. Yet Cadmus didn’t hesitate. Picking his own Ebony sword off the floor, he rushed towards the Dunmer. Taron must have realized that the odds were not in his favor, as he recast his fire cloak and started to fire another spell. Not at him, but at Sofie, who practically froze as an inferno suddenly came her way.

Before he or Katria could even think to do something, Jordis had already sprinted into action. Grabbing what looked like a Daedric shield from one of the mercenaries off the ground, she rushed into the incoming flames, jumping in front of his daughter. The heavy metal warded off most of the damage, but some of the flames still managed to get past the shield. He felt chills as he heard her scream at the fire biting into her skin. Seeing his loyal housecarl in pain only enraged him further and he charged at the Dark Elf, determined to get his satisfaction.

Now fully understanding the danger he was in, the Dunmer immediately ceased his attack, flung another clumsy fireball at him and turned tail. “Damn you! Damn all of you!”

For a moment, Cadmus hesitated, only to find Katria rushing to Jordis’s side and starting a healing spell. “I got this! Go!”

That was all he needed as his body jerked into motion after Dreth. The Dark Elf had rushed towards the main entrance and threw himself through the door, running as if Molag Bal was on his heels. Not that he was that far off, as the Imperial was seeing red and only one thought was running through his mind.

Taron Dreth would never stop. Not now, not ever. Not when he snuck into their house with an army of mercenaries in the middle of the night to kill them in their sleep. As long as he lived, he and his family would never be safe.

He had to end it here and now.

So he ran, as fast as he could, gaining on the smaller, lighter Dunmer through sheer force of will. Dreth seemed to realize this and would continue to throw fire at him as he tried to get away. The Imperial avoided it easily, every one of his senses on high alert, and as he got even closer, Taron started to fall apart, shrieking so loudly he was sure the entire street heard it.

“By Mephala, die! Just die! Why couldn’t you and your miserable family just lie down and die?! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!”

Cadmus knew better than to respond to that, instead focusing all his energy on reaching his quarry as they ran across the city square. Then and there, the Dark Elf summoned another wave of fire, one too big to just avoid, and he stopped in his tracks to summon a ward, protecting himself from the blaze. His temporary pause had bought Dreth several precious minutes and the Imperial noticed with horror that he had almost reached the city gates.

He would not let him.

“KRII… LUN… AUS!!!”

The deadly force tore from his lips at breakneck speed and caught Taron right in the back. He went down instantly, unceremoniously flopping onto the hard cobblestones. The cry of pain he let out was probably enough to wake up every single person who wasn’t yet asleep, but Cadmus found himself beyond caring as he approached.

Unfortunately, the Thu’um itself was not enough to down his foe. The Dunmer turned to him, his face pallid and frozen into a look of terror. He tried to scramble to his feet again, body shaking from both fear and the effects of the Shout. He looked every bit like a man who was finally cornered. He raised his hands, a weak fire spell at the ready, but there was no more bravura in his voice.

“P-please! _Dragonborn_ …! I-I d-didn’t know... If I did… I beg of you, let us talk…”

The Imperial bit back the urge to laugh. If he knew who he was… As if that had been a valid reason to not murder a woman whose work he had stolen. As if there was ever a valid reason for this black-hearted, selfish monster to do what he did. And even now, with no hired help to protect his pathetic rear, this creature seemed to think there was a way to weasel himself out of all of it.

He was surprised at how unnervingly calm he sounded in his answer. “You say that with a spell in your hand, after you came into my house to kill my family and me. And you say we should talk? No Dreth, we’ve gone so far south of talking that we’re practically in Pyandonea!”

He could practically see Taron flinch at those words and shrink even further as he was now within striking range. Yet it was at that exact moment that he could see the spell in the Dunmer’s hand flare up and despite his weakened state, his arm swung up, ready to cast it. His face was a frightening grey death mask, face drawn back in a sadistic and suicidal sneer. The last stand of a man who could still not accept that his own terrible choices led to this.

“Then I’ll end you here!”

For Cadmus, time seemed to creep by as he saw that one fire filled hand raise, but he didn’t move with it. Instead, his own motions were much faster and with years of training guiding his hands, he swung his Ebony sword upwards. The razor sharp blade sliced through his opponent’s wrist and the spell fizzled out as the Dark Elf’s hand fell to the ground.

It seemed to take a precious few seconds before Dreth realized what happened or to even register the pain. The noise he let out sounded more a wailing Dremora than any natural sound. It soon morphed back to unparalleled rage, but the Imperial didn’t give him the chance to do anything else, as he brought the sword up and sent it clean through the Dunmer’s neck.

Taron Dreth’s head practically spun as it separated from his body, a spray of blood trailing through the air as it was flung towards the street stones. The headless form, seemingly taking longer to realize it was missing something, followed soon after. Both fell to the ground with a dull, mundane thunk and just like that, Solitude returned to a nightly silence, with only the soft muted sounds of the inn in the background.

It was there, standing underneath Skyrim’s starry sky and breathing in the chilly night air, that Cadmus suddenly found himself coming back to his senses. The red haze had disappeared and he suddenly noticed how shaky his breath was and how his muscles were on fire. As the adrenaline ebbed from his body, he was starting to feel cold due to wearing nothing but some drawstring pants. Pain shot up his spine as his bare feet had been torn open and were bleeding on the uneven cobblestones. A mix of both clarity and fatigue washed over him as he stood there, lowering his sword, staring at the headless body as if to convince himself he was truly alive and it was all over…

Suddenly, he heard gasps and alarmed cries. He moved his head ever so slightly and saw several people near the Winking Skeever. Their flagons of mead had lowered or dropped to the ground and while some simply froze in horror, others started yelling for the guards.

Still standing there, nailed to the ground, he couldn’t blame them. He knew what he looked like. A barely dressed berserker, coming down from a furious episode, covered in the blood of the man he had just decapitated. He looked like a madman and quite frankly, he felt like one too now that the nightmare was over.

The sound of running had him look up. In the moonlight, he could see several city guards running his way, swords drawn and shields up. They approached him cautiously, ready to fight, only to hesitate and lower their weapons when they saw who it was. One of them, a young fellow named Odger, stepped forward and he looked over the situation in disbelief before looking at him.

“Legate Cadmus? By the Eight… What happened here?!”

The Imperial wanted to respond, but found he couldn’t. How in the world was he going to sum up the horrifying events of the night? Even he was still reeling and now that Dreth and the mercenaries were dead, shock was setting in. What’s more, it didn’t take away that he had just killed someone in the city square in cold blood and that even as a highly respected Legate of the Imperial Legion and a Thane of Solitude, he could not just expect to walk away and have everyone forget what they saw.

A harrowing feeling clawed its way into his stomach. He didn’t want to be here. Standing here covered in blood, surrounded by guards and a body at his feet. He wanted to be home. He wanted to see if Jordis was alright, to comfort his children who just had to kill someone in self-defense at eight years old and to hold Katria and tell her that Taron Dreth could no longer hurt her. He wanted to find his pets, either alive or to give them a decent burial for their sacrifice. Not here, in the aftermath of one of the most horrific nights of his life.

Still, he knew what had to be done.

Without thinking, he threw his sword to the ground and raised his arms above his head. “Take me in. I will explain everything at Castle Dour. I have just one request…”

The guard seemed hesitant, but willing to hear him out. “Well?”

He took a deep breath. “Please ask some of your men to go to my house. Check if my housecarl needs a healer. And tell my lover and children that I’m alright and the threat is over.”

Thankfully, Odger gave him a friendly, sympathetic nod. “Will do, Legate. Now come with us.”

The city guards didn’t even bother to bind his hands, grab hold of him or use their weaponry. They escorted him to the Castle with their weapons sheathed, one of them holding his sword, all of them quiet and confused. As they entered through the gates, the Imperial felt nervous and relieved all at the same time.

This whole debacle was not yet over. He would have to face the court for what he did, convince them of what had happened. Moreover, he had to deal with the aftermath of the horror that Taron Dreth had inflicted upon him and his loved ones.

His only comfort right now, as they walked into Castle Dour, was that the wretched Dunmer was gone forever and that his family was safe.


	15. Solace in the Avenues District

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here there be explicit, consensual sex. Turn away if it bothers you. XD

“Order. Order! We are gathered here today for the trial of Cadmus Santoro, Legate of the Imperial Legion and Thane of Solitude, who stands accused of the murder of Taron Dreth, scholar and citizen of Morrowind.”

The loud pounding of the magistrate’s gavel on his desk caused the noisy chamber to fall eerily quiet. Everyone was on edge, not least of all her. After all, this wasn’t just a regular case. What was happening here today was a military tribunal and the outcome could either make or break the man who stood accused.

Katria couldn’t believe this was even happening.

She clenched her jaw as she looked around the trial chamber in Castle Dour. Cadmus stood before a pedestal in the center of the room, looking straight at the magistrate sitting directly across from him. On the right side of the courtroom stood Mia Fidelius, the jurisconsult whom they had met in Markarth. Fortunately, she had still been in Skyrim and had agreed to represent Cadmus in court after receiving an urgent letter from General Tullius summoning her to Solitude.

In the audience, she could see a small group of Dunmer, expressions of anger and disgust on their faces. They were dressed in pretentious-looking clothes that were probably overpriced, a palpable air of self-importance and pompousness hanging above their heads like some sort of toxic miasma. She grimaced at how they had sneered at Cadmus, yelling all sorts of insults at him. Even if she didn’t know these individuals by name, she knew exactly who they were.

These were members of the Dreth family.

They had flocked to the city within a day of receiving the message that their kinsman was dead, practically shouting for her lover’s blood. They had demanded him to be handed over, threatening the worst things upon those in charge at Castle Dour if they would not comply. It had taken General Tullius himself intervening to finally get them to back off and remind them that they had no power there. He told them that Cadmus would be tried by a court of his peers and that if they wished to defend Dreth’s case, they could do so there.

It seemed that they had taken that to heart. Within a day, Felix Silanius, a retired jurisconsult originally from Kvatch, was brought in to defend the honor of their dead relative and they all seemed confident that “the murderous Imperial” would pay. Something that had caused Sheriah Sadras, who had been called in as a witness, to laugh under her breath, as she quietly told Katria it was not an honorable retirement and the man was well-known in Morrowind for accepting bribes.

The Nord woman, however, had not laughed. Instead, knowing that the man defending the late Taron Dreth didn’t have the best moral fiber, she wondered just what kind of things he would attempt to turn the case in his favor. Worse, having been summoned as a witness herself due to experiencing the situation, she would have to face him too.

Katria thought back to the events of that terrible night. It had been three days by now; three days since Cadmus willingly turned himself in to the city guards for killing Taron Dreth. She had been tending to Jordis’s burns and wounds when a group of men and women arrived at Proudspire Manor. Startled and still traumatized by the earlier home invaders, she hastily drew the sword she had picked up during the fight, only to lower it again once she saw the distinct red uniforms and realized that these were Solitude city guards.

Her heart broke when one of the guards told her that her lover had been taken to prison after beheading Taron Dreth in the middle of the street, and that he would not be allowed to return home until after his trial. The guard said this reluctantly, especially since upon taking one look at the horrific scene in front of him— with fifteen dead, heavily armed men and women strewn about the house, he knew full well that Cadmus had acted in self-defense. Katria could only grit her teeth. While the logical part of her understood that it was due process of the law, another part of her was enraged. Why? After everything that had happened that night, why did it have to be Cadmus who was thrown in jail? Is this what a man got for merely trying to protect his family?

Sofie and Lucia had taken the news even worse than she did and had broken out into hysterical sobbing. Before she knew it, the girls had clung to her, crying for their Papa. She held them tightly, trying her best to comfort them as she fought not to cry herself. She knew that she needed to be strong, both for their sakes and her own.

She made her decision right then and there. She requested to take Cadmus’s daughters away from here and then speak with General Tullius. The guards had heeded her request quite willingly, promising that his men would stand guard at the house, get Jordis to a proper healer, record all their findings and fetch the priest from the Hall of the Dead to assess the damage on the bodies and perform an exorcism on the house if necessary. She had thanked him profusely and after grabbing some clean clothes upstairs, she had quickly left with the children in tow.

Her first order of business had been to rent a room at The Winking Skeever. After all, she knew that after everything that had gone down, she would not be sleeping in her own bed and neither would Sofie and Lucia, who were still visibly shaken. Thankfully, Corpulus was sympathetic to their plight and instantly gave them a large room. She brought the girls there, even arranging some warm milk and a sweetroll for them, and told them she was going to Castle Dour, to talk to someone who could help their father.

The girls seemed horrified at the idea of being left alone, but Katria assured them that she would be back as soon as possible. She encouraged them to lock the door behind them and not let anyone in so they could feel safe. She kissed them on the cheeks, telling them she’d take care of everything. Though frankly, she tried to convince herself of that as much as them.

Apparently, the event at the town square was already buzzing through the ranks at Castle Dour. When Katria arrived and asked to speak to General Tullius, it turned out the man was already awake and seemed to have expected her. The only thing his guards asked was whether she was Katria, Cadmus’s lover, and once she confirmed it in surprise, she was let in to speak with the general.

He sat her down in his personal quarters, offering her some wine. Desperate for something to numb her stress, she accepted. He explained to her that Rikke, one of his other Legates, had been on night duty and woke him the moment she saw Cadmus being marched to the dungeons. It turned out he had already been in there himself as well to speak to him and judging from what both Cadmus and the city guards had told him, he believed it was an act of self-defense and defense of property, albeit a very extreme one.

He explained to Katria that Cadmus, as a Legate of the Imperial Legion, would face a military tribunal. This meant that the magistrate presiding over the case had a background in the Legion and any jurors would be officers as well. Additionally, while it wasn’t standard here in Skyrim, the general felt that as a citizen born in the Imperial City, Cadmus deserved to have legal counsel. He told her he was planning to argue this with the heads of the military tribunal and was delighted when she hesitantly brought up the name of Mia Fidelius. Apparently, she was the granddaughter of a friend of his and the knowledge that she was in the area caused him to immediately draft a letter and summon her to Solitude.

Tullius told her then and there that he would do everything in his power to get her lover out of prison and to achieve it by following the proper legal formalities. He was going to get to work this very instant, though he advised her to go have some sleep in the meantime. She was drained enough to take him up on that, though she asked if she could see Cadmus before she did so. Thankfully, the general granted her request and soon, one of his men was leading her to the dungeons.

When she finally reached his cell, she felt her stomach churn all over again. Granted, her lover didn’t look too bad, as it was clear the guards had allowed him to clean himself up and had offered him some proper clothing as well as some bandages for his wounds. She even saw a decent-looking meal on the table in his cell. Despite this, the fact that he was even here, after a band of thugs had tried to murder them in the dead of night, was unbearable and part of her almost wished she could bring back Dreth just so she could kill him all over again.

Some of that anger quickly faded, however, when Cadmus jumped up from the bed upon seeing her. He walked up to the bars, reaching out to her. She did the same and as their fingers interlaced, she swore she could feel him calm down a little and so did she.

He’d asked her if she was alright, how his daughters were holding up, if Jordis was okay and what had happened to their pets. She gave him a quick rundown, telling him that Jordis was with the local healer, Meeko and Kit were still missing and that she and the children had temporarily moved into The Winking Skeever. That she had spoken to General Tullius and that he was making preparations for him to be judged by a military tribunal. That Mia Fidelius was called here to defend him and that the general was rounding up witnesses and evidence as they spoke.

That information seemed to hearten him somewhat. She almost broke down when he actually apologized for the mess they were currently in, begging him not to. She promised him then and there she’d do everything she could to get him out of here and he asked her to please be strong, for herself, for Jordis and for the girls, but also added it was important for her to get some sleep first. She could only nod weakly at that and soon found herself pressing up against the steel bars to kiss him. He took it eagerly and even though the guards likely saw, they seemed to have no urge to break them up.

There was a little silver lining when she finally returned to the inn. As she walked back through the streets, she heard a familiar shriek-like howl. She looked over her shoulder, only for her eyes to widen when a trembling, upset Kit ran in her direction. She quickly picked up the little fox, who was covered in dried blood— either his own or from the Argonian who’d lost an eye. Judging by the smell, he had apparently been hiding in Addvar’s fish stall, but he seemed relieved to see her. 

As she comforted him, a voice suddenly called out to her and she was surprised to see Noster with Meeko at his side. The former beggar told him he’d woken up to barking and whining and found the dog outside his humble home looking bloody and with a broken leg. Recognizing him and sensing that the dog was warning him of trouble, he’d asked some guards to go to Proudspire Manor, meanwhile taking Meeko inside, setting his leg, bandaging it and giving him a strong healing potion to mend the break. He’d also seen an Elf running through the streets from his window, screaming about wanting to kill people, with Cadmus in pursuit. He stated he’d be more than willing to testify on that if needed.

Katria could only thank him profusely and she felt a little more optimistic as she returned to the inn with the family pets in tow. Honestly, she had no idea if they were allowed in, but Corpulus didn’t seem intent on enforcing anything, even offering some scraps of meat to feed them as well as some furs so the animals could sleep comfortably. At the very least, the smiles on Sofie and Lucia’s faces upon seeing their pets again reassured her. While Meeko and Kit slept on a bundle of furs on the floor, they ended up in the large double bed with her, still traumatized from the events of the night but slowly calming down. And as the girls snuggled up against her, Katria found that she didn’t mind at all, sinking into a death-like sleep herself.

The next morning, after buying herself and the household some breakfast, she’d gone straight to work. She started writing letters to anyone she knew who could confirm Taron Dreth’s prior behavior and sent them out by means of the fastest and most reliable couriers she could get. She met up with the guards who came to Proudspire Manor and confirmed that they had carefully recorded the scene of the crime. She went to Styrr and had him assess the minor injuries on her and the children’s throats from where the blades had been. In the meantime, she tried to coordinate with Tullius and later Mia when she arrived in the city barely a day later, determined to build the strongest case she could. She did all of this while trying to take care of Sofie and Lucia and continuously checking on Jordis, who thankfully seemed to be making a swift recovery.

When she had time left, she visited Cadmus in his cell. She had brought the girls as well, hoping that seeing their father would lift their spirits a little. She discussed her progress with him, even bringing him some food, drinks and books to pass the time. Cadmus smiled upon hearing that his pets were still alive, saying that if it hadn’t been for them raising the alarm, Dreth would have succeeded in murdering the household in their sleep. Katria could only nod quietly in agreement.

These moments helped her cope with all the insanity, even though her heart sank whenever they had to leave. During one visit, she even overheard a conversation between two guards, one of them stating that it was an utter outrage that her lover was still being held with so much evidence pointing to a home invasion and he deserved to be free on bail until his trial. The other interjected that Cadmus was staying voluntarily and under orders of Tullius himself, for his own protection, particularly because the family of the murdered man had come knocking…

Now, as she gazed upon the members of the Dreth family who were present during Cadmus’s trial, she knew this was going to be a battle. In any other case, the court might have let him go without a fuss, perhaps not even giving him so much as a fine. But she knew then and there that the opposing party would do everything in their power to see him pay.

Her fear soon proved to be a reality. As the magistrate declared the court to be in session, Silanius instantly opened with the most nauseating course of events. He claimed that Taron Dreth had gone to their house to sort out a “dispute” that happened with Katria in Markarth, bringing some mercenaries with him because he felt unsafe and was then murdered in cold blood by her lover after things got heated again, right after he killed the mercenaries. It was a statement so perverse it might have made her laugh, were she not intimately familiar with the truth and if her lover’s life wasn’t on the line.

She stood by, practically gnashing her teeth as the jurisconsult read Dreth’s letters to his family, painting him as a good and loyal son, an honest scholar and an all-around virtuous man. She felt ill as she heard every word, a terrifying mask hiding the absolute monster that had commanded someone to smother two children in their bed. Even more so when his old tutors and family members were called as witnesses, waxing poetic about what a good student he was and how he would achieve great things. She was even angrier when she saw a few lower ranking officials, no doubt bribed to be here, being called to the stand as character witnesses, seemingly to confirm what a nice man he was. Felix even referenced that damned book, _The Aetherium Wars_ , to indicate that he and Katria had no previous animosity.

By the time he concluded that a man such as Dreth could not have possibly meant harm, she was seething. Something that only increased as the jurisconsult decided to interrogate Cadmus. He demanded to know about his history with Dreth, how he had felt when the Elf appeared at his home and why he had killed him even though he was already fleeing the house. He kept asking him leading questions, provoking him non-stop and doing his very best to make him seem angry and unhinged. At one point, he even made the rather disgusting insinuation that she and Taron were former lovers and the Imperial killed him out of jealousy.

Unfortunately for him, however, Cadmus refused to bite, maintaining a calm demeanor and answering each question neutrally and honestly. He explained his first real interaction with Dreth involved the Elf insulting his lover during her exhibition in Markarth and later trying to throttle her. He mentioned how he had felt angry when the Dunmer showed up at his home, because at that point, he, Katria, his daughters and his housecarl all had swords to their throats. He casually pointed out that Taron had actually threatened to come back and kill his family, even after fleeing the house. He even chuckled in Silanius’s face at that last insinuation, remarking that he must not have been told a lot about Dreth’s views on Nords. Katria couldn’t help but feel a small sliver of satisfaction when the rat of a man seemed more frustrated than anything by the end of it.

Then, it was Mia’s turn to present the evidence in Cadmus’s defense and Katria swore she was born for exactly this moment. First, she had Cadmus, Katria herself and Jordis give their accounts of what had happened that night. She followed that up by describing the aftermath in Proudspire Manor, reading the log the city guards had made about the state they had found the house in, including the fact that a clear attempt had been made to kill the girls in their sleep. 

She then brought up the guards themselves as witnesses, as well as Styrr, who confirmed the injuries of the household and of the dead mercenaries and Taron, indicating that especially the latter had died fighting rather than fleeing. She then moved on to witnesses from The Winking Skeever as well as Noster, who were all unanimous in hearing Dreth scream about his promise to kill Cadmus and his family. 

Mia even had Sheriah detail the incident at Tully and Partners, just to illustrate that the Dunmer had exhibited violent, threatening behavior before. The female Dark Elf had debunked once and for all that _The Aetherium Wars_ was actually written by him, showing evidence of the fraud as carefully recorded in an official statement by Calcelmo. Much to Katria’s shock, the publishers from _Stone City_ had even appeared in court to verify this, having apparently found both their conscience and decency. She would be very surprised to learn later on that they had come to testify on her behalf of their own volition, rather than a court order, but apparently, Dreth’s actions had fully pushed them over the edge. They were insistent to confirm that he had stolen the work, admitting full culpability in this, and that this theft, combined with his racist views and violent outbursts, had caused them to let him go from their employ, effectively puncturing the assertion he and Katria were lovers as well.

At that point, the Dreth family were essentially screaming that they were all liars, so much so that the magistrate had to demand order again. Silanius went with that as well, bringing up that Cadmus had made a great many friends in this city. As a Legate, he was on good terms with the city guards and Legionnaires at Castle Dour. He had aided Styrr in a crisis regarding the undead in the catacombs below the city. He had even used his influence as a Thane to ensure Noster was recognized for his efforts in the Great War and that he received a pension and small house, saving him from a miserable life on the streets. What’s more, _Stone City Publishing House_ was in a legal stranglehold due to the scandal with Katria’s book and could easily be manipulated to lie about the severity of the victim’s actions. As such, he concluded all these people owed him a great deal, probably to the point they’d lie for him as well. As for Katria and Jordis, he added, of course they would lie if that meant keeping their lover and Thane safe.

Taron’s family jeered triumphantly at that statement and Katria inwardly raged, but Mia hadn’t even flinched. Instead, she had calmly asked the jurisconsult if he would lie for someone to the point of nearly dying. When he cooly asked her whether she was talking nonsense, she summoned a new witness. It was a city guard, introducing himself as Torstein, in such a bad shape that he had to take the stand with crutches. Katria could see the bandages even under his clothes and when Felix asked about his state, the answer shocked the court.

The guard explained he had been patrolling the Avenues District that night and had come upon Taron and the group of mercenaries as they tried to break into Proudspire Manor. He had actually tried to stop them and alert his colleagues, only for the Dunmer to command the mercenaries to be rid of him. This resulted in him being stabbed at least twenty times, tossed in a corner and left for dead. He concluded he could only thank Arkay that some bards from the Bard’s College came home from a night of drinking, found him and quickly took him inside to give him some healing potions and alert Castle Dour.

This statement rendered the court entirely silent, including the Dreth camp, but Silanius was apparently paid too much to simply accept facts staring him in the face. Once again, he probed for this man’s relationship to Cadmus, continuing to hammer on the fact that anyone friendly with Cadmus could not be trusted. He even went as far as doubting the seriousness of his wounds, walking up and touching them roughly, only to jump as Torstein growled in pain. That one foul move caused outrage and the magistrate demanded Felix return to his stand, threatening to hold him in contempt of court if he tried something like that again.

The jurisconsult took the hint, but still tried to argue that the guard’s friendly standing with the accused made all his statements inadmissible. Mia stayed unflappably calm as those smug words came out of his mouth, then told him the next witness would be more to his liking then. Katria watched in confusion when she summoned a male Bosmer, whom she was positive neither she nor Cadmus had ever met before, to the stand. He introduced himself as Cirithil and the Nord woman was stunned to learn that he was, in fact, a member of the same group of mercenaries who had invaded their home.

Cirithil had explained that Dreth came to them as they were temporarily staying in Dragon Bridge. He told them he needed help in teaching a rival “a lesson” and had offered an obscene amount of money for their cooperation. This had seemed all well and good at first and he had assumed that Taron simply wanted someone beaten up for a slight, perhaps some items stolen, which was nothing he hadn’t done before. He was even pleasantly surprised when the Dunmer offered a contract as well, though he started having suspicions when the Dark Elf insisted it should be burned after payment.

Having a gut feeling, the Bosmer read the contract and questioned Dreth, quickly realizing that he actually wanted them to break into a house in Solitude and murder an entire family. The idea of killing defenseless people in their sleep, much less children, had been a step too far. He told the Dunmer in no uncertain terms that he could keep his money and that he refused to sign the contract or partake. This had led to a disagreement with both Taron and his comrades, who had decided the money was worth any moral quandaries, and he’d stayed in Dragon Bridge as everyone had left. The incident weighed heavily on him, however, and when he heard about an attack in Solitude where a Dunmer was killed and several mercenaries were found dead, he figured he should do the right thing and go to the city to testify.

The entire court could only stare at him as he said that, but it was clear that the Dreth family was not that willing to just believe it. Silanius was already planning to cast doubt on his character, when the Bosmer simply asked whether they wanted to see the contract Taron had given him. The magistrate told him he was very interested and as the contract was shown to him, the jury and the opposing jurisconsult, the entire courtroom started to go deathly quiet.

From her spot in the room, Katria saw how one of the oldest of the Dreths left his seat and walked up to Felix. He picked up the contract and held it with trembling fingers. For a moment, she even swore there were tears in his eyes. He then put it down, his posture resigned, and whispered something to the jurisconsult. As no one could hear, the magistrate asked if Silanius had anything left to say. With an uncharacteristic humbleness, the man said he did not as the evidence was clear and that the Dreth family had just announced that they wished to drop the case entirely based on that proof.

This caused another wave of murmurs to wash through the courtroom. The magistrate demanded order again as he and the jury deliberated, but Katria no longer cared. In that moment, she knew they had won. Something that was wonderfully confirmed when the magistrate announced that the charges against Cadmus Santoro were dismissed, as he had been proven to act within his rights of self-defense and defense of property.

It had been a day full of tension and anxiety, but the moment the magistrate set down his gavel after declaring his verdict of justified self-defense, Katria felt as if a huge weight had been removed from her chest. She let out a deep breath when Cadmus was allowed to finally leave the defendant’s pedestal and she could see that her lover also looked as if he had just dodged an arrow aimed at his heart. As he walked towards her, Mia and Jordis, she rushed up to embrace him and kissed him on the lips, not caring who saw. Her lover was free and justice had prevailed.

As the court dispersed, she could see how most of the Dreth family gave them embarrassed, uncomfortable glares, with some still in shock and avoiding eye contact entirely. A few of them, however, approached. Katria assumed it was to issue more threats, but she was surprised when they addressed her in a sincerely polite manner that actually seemed… apologetic. They told her how sorry they were for their earlier nasty behavior, the actions of their relative, and everything she, Cadmus and their family had gone through due to him. Everything about their demeanor felt genuine and the Nord woman found herself pleasantly shocked at their empathy.

Even so, her heart sank as she talked to them, especially when she realized that among these people were Taron’s parents, younger siblings, a close aunt and his grandfather. All of them were among the rare, decent members of House Dreth who, as Sheriah would later inform her, had worked hard for everything they had. They had clearly loved Taron deeply, despite his obvious flaws, and while the relationship had always been stormy, they never once thought he was capable of something this heinous. His grandfather in particular had been immensely heartbroken upon recognizing his grandchild’s distinct handwriting, quite evidently ordering the cold-blooded murder of an entire family that included two young children. And while Katria didn’t regret that Taron was dead after all that happened, she felt immensely guilty that his loved ones were now suffering because of him, and that they had only found out how much of a terrible person he was after the fact, when it was too late to do anything about it.

As such, she and Cadmus once again decided to take the high road, expressing sorrow and sympathy for their loss and asserting that the two of them didn’t hold them accountable for Taron’s actions. Cadmus even offered to make arrangements so they could take their relative’s body back home for burial in Morrowind, something they greatly appreciated. All in all, both groups had parted on relatively amicable terms, having come to the conclusion that neither party was at fault for the current situation and hoping that if they ever met again, it would be under better circumstances.

Some people in Cadmus’s camp were elated and in a celebratory mood after the verdict, but both she and her lover were not in the same mindset. He declined all offers of some free rounds at The Winking Skeever, instead insisting that he wanted to go home and be with his family. Katria had helped him achieve this despite the protests, making sure Mia was properly paid and thanking Tullius and all other witnesses for their time, after which she took Cadmus by the arm and led him out of the trial chamber, hopefully to never return.

Their mood didn’t much improve when they, along with Jordis, the girls, and the pets arrived home either. It was the first time any of the household had entered Proudspire Manor since the home invasion. The city guards had kept their word and had sent for people to thoroughly clean up the house, as well as repair and reinforce everything that had been damaged during the home invasion. They had done an excellent job, to the point where it looked as if the entire incident hadn’t taken place at all. It almost made the whole thing more unsettling, especially when the memory of that horrifying, violating event was still fresh in their minds.

Dinner, bought from the market and already cooked, was eaten in silence and it was clear everyone was dreading going to sleep that night. Even Meeko seemed to still be uneasy, staying near his owners and acting protectively, while Kit stuck to him at all times. The doors had all been replaced with new ones that were made of thick, heavy, reinforced wood and iron, but even then, Katria had still bought sturdier lock bolts and beams to be installed at Cadmus’s request. Overall, much hesitation remained. The new measures should technically prevent any such events from ever happening again, or would at least make any break-in so loud and messy that they were sure to be awake and prepared by the time someone got to them. Still, that didn’t erase the fear and alertness that was still in their system after the three-day nightmare.

A recovered Jordis had seemed determined to take things as they came, but Katria was frankly surprised that the girls wanted to sleep in their own room again. After sleeping in her bed at their rented room in The Winking Skeever for the past three days, she was surprised that they wanted to be brave enough to spend the night in the place where they were nearly smothered in with their own pillows. Cadmus similarly protested, but as Sofie and Lucia insisted, they conceded that they could do so, but also told them not to hesitate and come to their room if they felt scared or had nightmares. They promised to do so and thus, she and her lover found themselves alone in their bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed in silence.

After a while, he spoke. “Well, so much for the start of a happy life together…”

Katria noticed he didn’t sound angry or disappointed. Rather, it was sarcasm, mixed with an unmistakable tone of tiredness— an attempt to cope with this terrible situation. She could understand that, but she also knew it wasn’t going to solve much.

She sighed. “If I had known Dreth was going to…”

He interrupted her. “But you didn’t. You couldn’t. Because what kind of person in their right mind would think to kill someone in their sleep over ownership of a damned book?”

The Nord woman gave no answer to that. After all, that remark alone summed up the absurdity of it all. An absurdity she only recognized now that it was all over.

Cadmus signed. “He’s gone now, at least. Not the way I ever wanted to end that particular story, but I can’t say I’m not glad to know he will never hurt you, or any of us, again.”

Those words hit her hard. He was right after all. Now that Taron Dreth was dead and his family had sued for peace, there was no more enemy to fight. He was not going to steal anything or try to kill anyone anymore. His reign of terror was over and even if they came out scarred, they were still alive.

She smiled as she leaned into him. She grabbed his hand, their fingers entwining, and rested her head against his shoulder. He happily let her, every part of his body relaxing and reveling in the closeness. It strengthened her, too. To know that whatever was going to happen from here on out, she was not going through it alone.

Her words, when she spoke, reflected this. “We’ll pull through. Together.”

That was apparently all he needed to hear. He kissed her lovingly and the next thing she knew, they were under the covers together, holding each other. They said nothing as they simply cherished being close to each other again after three days of anxious separation, letting the quiet and tiredness slowly send them off to sleep.

The events of the past three days would leave a mark. Katria didn’t doubt that she would have nightmares tonight, and so would Cadmus. Same for the night after, and then the night after that, for Divines knew how many more days or weeks to come. They were going to be vigilant and ensure all doors were locked and all windows were secured before everyone went to bed. The smallest sound in their house would set them off. They would bolt awake if they heard Meeko barking or Kit screaming in the dead of night again. It would take some time to return to normalcy, but she’d be damned if she’d let Taron Dreth take away everything from her and Cadmus now.

They were alive, they were together, and they were going to move forward and leave this behind.

* * *

At seven in the morning on the first day of Morning Star, the city of Solitude sprung to life amidst song, chants and the noise of shop owners opening their respective businesses. The distant sounds and the sunlight coming through the windows called Katria back to the waking world. She’d had a long, somewhat fretful sleep, though her slumbers thankfully didn’t collide with the nightmare realm of Vaermina nearly as much anymore. It was a relief and she hoped that today would continue to numb the horror of the past month by reveling in some merriment.

Cadmus was still fast asleep and the Nord woman decided to leave him to rest. Lately, everyone had finally been able to have uninterrupted slumbers again. It had also been a week since the girls last came to their room suffering from nightmares, so she wasn’t planning to wake anyone now. Instead, she quickly pulled a chamber robe over her sleeping clothes and left the room. She headed down the stairs, sneaking some bread and an apple from the kitchen, before going down to the basement. She opened the door to her workspace, lit the sconces, took her writings out of the safe and continued working on them.

_The Aetherium Forge_ would be her second book. With all the years of information she had diligently and meticulously recorded, it had not taken her very long to update _The Aetherium Wars_ to the standards of Tully and Partners. They had happily taken her manuscript, thoroughly checked it and edited it, only sent it back once or twice for revision and then published it. The revised book had only been out for a couple of weeks at this point, but there seemed to be a shocking amount of interest in it, especially in light of the events in Markarth. Before she knew it, copies were practically flying off the shelves and money was starting to trickle in at an impressive rate.

Even now, this new reality felt surreal to her. Less than five months ago, she was a penniless scholar, a pariah scraping for food and shelter, her work unappreciated and she was about to die alone and scared in a Dwemer ruin. Now, she was finally able to pursue her life’s passion to the fullest extent and she had respect, recognition and a steady source of income. But most of all, she now had a wonderful partner, a permanent home and a family who loved and appreciated her. Every day, she woke up being fortunate that she was here and living this life, finally able to feel safe, warm and joyful.

For the next half-hour or so, Katria was engrossed in her work. The words flowed freely and she effortlessly put pen to paper, describing the events of her and Cadmus’s adventures throughout Skyrim as they searched for the Aetherium Shards. After writing a good twenty pages, she decided she had made decent progress for today. It was a holiday, after all. Besides, the deadline for her newest book was still several months away, and she was very happy with how her first draft was turning out. So once she had put all her writings away again, she put on some gloves, boots and her heavy fur cloak, deciding to go outside for a few moments to get some fresh air and catch a glimpse of the festivities before making breakfast.

The sight that met her was absolutely stunning. All of Solitude was covered in thick blankets of white, only offset by the bright colors of the decorations on nearly every house, wall and lamppost. Tiny snowflakes fluttered onto the patio and in the distance, the sound of songs and instruments signified that the New Life Festival was already well underway, even this early in the morning, and that gave the whole thing an ethereal feeling.

Katria let out a pleased sigh as she looked at the snow-covered buildings. Solitude looked completely different in winter, almost like an illustration from one of the books she had as a child. The capital city exuded a warm, welcoming atmosphere in spite of the snow— unlike Windhelm, she might add— and she could already smell the hot, spiced drinks and seasonal baked goods that would be available at the city square later. She was looking forward to heading out with the family again, to celebrate and enjoy all the festivities of the day, and she was particularly excited about getting free ale and mead at The Winking Skeever. From where she stood on the patio, she could also spot some men jumping into the frigid waters of the Sea of Ghosts completely naked, no doubt to fulfill the old “Snow Bear Plunge” tradition. Katria shook her head and chuckled, inwardly thinking that she would still prefer the warmth of the fireplace at home. 

She stayed outside for a bit, eventually heading out onto the streets. She stood on the corner of the Avenues District, admiring the view around her, soaking in all the sights, sounds and smells of New Life in Solitude. Neighbors were exchanging greetings, children were playing in the snow, and the atmosphere was light and joyful. It almost made her feel like a little girl again and she couldn’t remember the last time she truly had reason to be so carefree. The holiday itself was perfectly fitting for how Katria felt at this point. It was a new year and a new beginning, and even though her new life had started with the pain of the home invasion from the past month, she was ready to move on and put that all behind her.

After a few more minutes, she returned to Proudspire Manor. She made a quick stop at the yard, feeding the family chickens as well as collecting some eggs, before going back inside the house. She then headed to the kitchen and after setting down some bowls of beef scraps for Meeko and Kit, she got to work on breakfast. She opened the ice chest and took the leftovers from the last two days— some meat, potatoes and onions— and began chopping the ingredients into small bits. She then added some pickles, beets, and tiny capparis flower buds and started frying some eggs to put on top. Katria had only recently started to become more adventurous with cooking herself, now that she no longer had to buy the cheapest possible thing to keep her fed on short notice. Cadmus of course had been there to teach her and as always, he’d been nothing but patient and supportive whenever she wanted to learn something new. Now, she could cook a variety of rustic Nordic meals, and a handful of Cyrodilic recipes as well.

The food was well underway when the rest of the family was starting to wake up, likely due to the delicious smell that was wafting around the house. Cadmus walked straight into the kitchen, greeted her good morning and wrapped an arm around her waist as he kissed the top of her head. Katria turned away from her cooking for a moment and kissed her lover on the lips, greeting him with a good morning as well. As she was finishing up cooking breakfast, Cadmus started brewing some coffee and prepared some dried fruit, nuts, bread and milk for the table. By the time the two of them had finished preparing the morning meal, Jordis and the girls were already sitting at the table and expressing excitement for Katria’s dish.

After a delicious and enjoyable breakfast, the household started getting ready to head out into the city to celebrate the New Life Festival there. Unlike with the Warriors Festival from a few months ago, however, this time the family had unanimously decided to only be out for a few hours, and would return home after lunch so as not to leave the house and pets unattended all day. That suited Katria just fine, since she fully understood that, while life had more or less returned to normal for them, the household still felt a little on edge. After leaving ample food and water for Kit and Meeko and making sure all the doors and windows were secured, the family set off for the city square.

Their time at the festival was fun and peaceful. The celebrations began with a speech from High Queen Elisif wishing all the citizens of Solitude a prosperous new year, after which the various booths and stalls were declared open for business. Katria spent the day enjoying free mead and using her newly earned money to fulfill a few charity writs, while Cadmus also tried his hand at the anchor throw. Sofie and Lucia mostly went around enjoying all the sweets and baked goods as well as engaging in a snowball fight with the other children, while Jordis spent her time watching the fire eaters and other acrobats. The Bards College also held a performance at noon, which Lucia watched with utmost interest and admiration. After having a quick lunch from one of the many food stalls, the family also picked up some final gifts and by the time they decided they’d had enough of the crowds, everyone walked back with their arms full.

They arrived back home early in the afternoon as agreed, where they spent the rest of the day building creatures out of snow in the garden area. It started out with crude figures at first, but quickly evolved to include Humans, Elves, Beastfolk and a range of animals, all with varying results. They stayed outside until it became too cold and everyone’s hands were numb even through their mitts, after which Cadmus suggested they should all go inside for some hot chocolate.

His suggestion had surprised Katria. She was of course familiar with chocolate, especially the fancy Nord kind that she could never afford, but she never thought to use it as part of a drink. Her lover, however, showed her a recipe he had learned during his time stationed in Elsweyr, one of the places the Nords imported their cocoa from, and soon, she was happily enjoying the sweet, hot drink while everyone settled down to open their gifts.

The selection proved to be rather successful. Lucia was entranced by the child-sized lute they had managed to find and Sofie was beside herself with the Imperial short sword she unwrapped. Jordis was beyond pleased with the new Nordic sword she had been gifted and Cadmus loved the extensive volumes on expeditions in Akavir. Katria herself was given a compass, procured from some sailors from Stros M’Kai, and she instantly knew future explorations in and around Dwemer ruins would be a lot easier with a device to navigate.

The rest of the evening was quiet, celebrated with a large dinner of roast mutton, potatoes, greens and leek soup. Dessert, which consisted of honey nut treats and warm pudding, was enjoyed by all in the living room area as they all discussed their gifts and wished each other well for the next year. Of course, resolutions were made, too. Lucia resolved to master the lute and Sofie, now the proud owner of her first ever sword, declared her ambition to become a great swordswoman. Jordis resolved to become both a great steward as well as a housecarl, swearing to continue to protect the family with her life. Katria herself resolved to explore more ruins, make more discoveries and write more books. 

When it was Cadmus’s turn to announce his resolution, however, Katria noticed how a small smile formed on his lips as he somberly said that he would resolve to defeat Alduin and end the Dragon Crisis of Skyrim once and for all.

There was something about the way he had said it— without any hint of glory or bravado, but rather, a quiet acceptance that nearly bordered on resignation. Those words didn’t ruin the festivities, but it did make her think. After all, throughout everything they had faced together, the Nord woman often didn’t think of her lover as the Dragonborn anymore. Of course, she knew he could use the Thu’um and absorb the souls of fallen dragons, but it wasn’t consciously on her mind. To her, he was simply Cadmus, the man she loved, and it was so easy to forget he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. That night, as everyone retired for bed, she couldn’t help but bring it up.

* * *

“It may not always be like this, will it?”

The Imperial looked up as he was about to change out of his clothes. For a moment, he seemed confused and she thought about letting it go. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for him to catch on to what she meant and he let out a soft sigh.

“I hope it can be. I _want_ it to be. But Alduin will not lie low forever. Eventually, we must face one another and one of us will not walk away…”

He didn’t dare continue, so she did it for him. “And you don’t know if that will be you…”

He nodded. “No, I do not. The prophecy does not say.”

His bluntness caused her stomach to turn and yet, she also couldn’t fault him for being honest with her. If anything, after so many people deceiving her by trying to tell her what she wanted to hear, she appreciated the fact that he valued the truth. As such, she figured she should do him the same courtesy.

She sat down on the bed and breathed in deeply. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I knew who you were, Cadmus, before I fell in love with you. I know what your potential fate is… I knew all of these things and I do not regret that I still chose to be with you. That I still chose to _love you_. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt to think about it. To think about the possibility that one day, you… you might not come back home…”

“Katria…”

“I’m scared to lose you, Cadmus.”

He had paused what he was doing and sat next to her, smiling as he gently rubbed her back. It felt good and even now, she was surprised just how delicate and comforting his touch could be.

“That’s alright… I’m scared, too. Who wouldn’t be, in this situation? Those who claim to be fearless are either deathseekers or fools. So I am not ashamed to say I’m scared of what my fate might be. I don’t want a heroic warrior’s death. I want to survive. I want to live and come home to my family. I want to see my daughters grow up. I want to make more memories with you…”

He moved closed to her, kissing her cheek. “I know my fate is uncertain, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on the life I made. I want to be here next year, celebrating the New Life Festival with all of you. Until the day comes when I have to face the World Eater, I’m going to live every damn day to the fullest. Because all of you are too precious to me…”

Katria smiled, quietly enjoying his touch. She knew he meant it when he said that. After all, how many times had he now protected her from the worst? She left Arkngthamz alive because of him. She survived Chaurus Hunters, wolves, bears, Falmer and dragons because of him. And barely a month ago, he had saved her once again from Dreth, finally ending his torment once and for all. He didn’t have to tell her that she was precious to him, when he said as much with his actions. She felt that, rather than grimly looking ahead towards the future, the least she could do was express the same towards him.

She moved away a little, not giving him the time to be surprised as she slipped into his lap and kissed him on the mouth. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning forward to deepen the kiss. Her lover returned the gesture, placing his hands on her waist, holding her close as he kissed her passionately. The two of them remained that way for a few moments, locked in their kiss, their tongues wrestling for dominance and their bodies starting to move against each other in an increasingly intimate manner.

When she pulled back from the kiss, she smiled and let her intentions be known.

“Then let us do just that. Let’s make the most of our new life together.”

The Nord woman made a point to grind her hips against his as she said that. She felt him jolt ever so slightly, his body responding immediately, and she was delighted. Katria knew what she wanted. What they both wanted. They had not slept together since the home invasion, with the both of them too tired and nervous for intimacy after the whole ordeal. Now, she felt very determined to make up for lost time.

Having made up her mind, she moved back a little, only to gently ease him onto the bed. He complied readily, attempting to pull her along as he did and trying to move his hands under her clothes. She indulged him for a moment, only to lean in and kiss him again, determined to see him naked as well.

She started impatiently tugging at his clothing, causing him to laugh. “Guess I shouldn’t bother changing into my sleeping clothes, then?”

Katria grinned. “No. Besides, I don’t think either of us will be sleeping anytime soon…”

The Imperial simply smirked back, happily letting her remove his belt, outer tunic and shirt. He sighed when she brought her hands to his chest, letting them roam across his sides and stomach as well. As she lovingly caressed his body, she couldn’t help but smile at the thought that only she could see him like this, the same way her own naked form was for his eyes only. She expressed her appreciation for his powerful physique the best way she knew how— by planting kisses on his skin, tenderly stroking each scar and muscle, and running her tongue over his nipples.

Cadmus soon returned the favor, sliding her out of her own clothes as well, before reaching up to fondle her breasts. She bit back a happy sigh, holding still as he stroked and kneaded the tender flesh. Soon, his thumbs were tracing circles around the nipples, causing her to sigh in pleasure as her lover lavished his attention on the sensitive buds. And when he pressed his lips to them, mirroring her earlier movements and swirling his tongue around a hardened nub, she could only respond with a soft mewl. This only served to encourage him further, and before long he was alternating between sucking on her breasts and flicking his tongue against her nipples. Her lover clearly knew what he was doing and Katria soon found herself already growing wet.

Clearly, she was not the only one getting excited. By now, she could already feel a familiar hardness press up against her buttocks. Looking down, her suspicions were confirmed when she was met with the sight of her lover’s arousal straining against the fabric of his trousers. She smiled, inwardly blushing at the thought that she could make him want her that much— that she could make him want her just as badly as she wanted him. The Nord woman chuckled, shifting her weight in his lap and pushing her pelvis against his length. She heard him hiss a little at the friction, but she knew there was another way to get him to be even more vocal.

She eased his head away from her chest, holding back a laugh at the disappointed look he gave her in response. Carefully, she pushed back against him, laying him down on the pillows. Then, she slid off him and, after planting a trail of light kisses down his abdomen, she quickly pulled down his pants. His manhood immediately sprung free, and his breath hitched briefly upon coming into contact with the relatively colder air of the room.

Katria reached out, running her fingers across the smooth skin and marveling at just how warm he felt. She’d already been very pleased with what she saw back in the hot springs at the Aalto and now that they had consummated their relationship, she reveled in the fact that she could now enjoy it whenever she wanted. The first order of business, however, was getting him fully hard.

Not taking her eyes off him once, she proceeded to close her fingers around him and slowly move her hand up and down the shaft. Her touches were light as a feather, without applying the slightest bit of pressure, but she could see every little muscle in his body grow taut. She kept this up, stroking the skin and teasing the veins, moving slowly and unhurriedly as she watched him gradually grow more erect.

Happy with the results, she moved back down again, only to then firmly grip him at the base. His hips bucked, but before he could do anything else, she continued her pattern. She could feel him throb against her palm as she held him tight and increased her pace, working her way to the tip and back in a steady rhythm. As much as he tried to hold back, Cadmus was already starting to thrust against her hand and Katria happily let him, knowing that he’d feel even better once he was inside her.

Determined to have his full attention, she brought her other hand into play. She pressed her thumb against the head, drawing circles around the sensitive flesh and causing him to shiver. She then gently pulled back the foreskin, fully revealing the crown, but rather than using her fingers again, she instead slid her second hand down to his balls as she moved her face closer towards his manhood.

She swore she heard him curse under his breath as she took the head into her mouth and squeezed his sac at the same time. It was all she let him do as she proceeded to swirl her tongue around the tip, while continuing to stimulate him with her hands. She could already taste some of his seed and before long, she could feel her own arousal rise.

Instinctively, Katria took him deeper into her mouth, stroking and squeezing him along the way. She allowed him to slip all the way into the back of her throat, only to then pull back, kiss the head and guide him back in. She could feel him twitch against her lips, groaning softly every time he was enveloped by her hot mouth and she was so enraptured in the act that she hardly even noticed when Cadmus gently moved her body so that her legs were now positioned over his shoulders. Nor did she pay much attention to his hands running up her thighs and rear until a finger suddenly found her clitoris and a tongue ran across her womanhood.

A small gasp left the Nord woman’s lips, releasing him from her mouth as she looked back to see what in Nirn he was doing. The Imperial simply grinned back at her, tenderly caressing the inside of her thighs.

“Why let you do all the work when we can both have fun at the same time?”

She didn’t miss his teasing tone and just like that, she could feel herself flush all over. She had already discovered that Cadmus was a little more adventurous towards intercourse than her previous lovers. She was both immensely excited and aroused when he had pleasured her with his mouth for the first time, and she had been more than willing to return the favor. Still, it had not yet occurred to her that such activities could be done simultaneously… 

Her shyness, however, didn’t last long. “Very well… If you aren’t too… _distracted_.”

Recognizing a challenge when he heard one, her lover simply flashed her a smirk. She answered it with one of her own, only to quickly turn back and envelop him with her mouth. Almost immediately, she could feel how he started to lap at her outer lips, giving as good as he got. The sensation had her go rigid for a moment, only for her to then willingly press her hips against him, begging him to continue.

The Imperial graciously complied and soon, she was losing herself in the feeling of his tongue and fingers exploring her most intimate area. She sighed as he toyed with the sensitive spot above her opening, touching it ever so lightly, while his mouth busied itself with her womanhood, kissing and stimulating her until shivers ran down her spine.

As such, she doubled her efforts in pleasuring her lover as well. The Nord took him in as deep as she could, licking the veins and not letting up on fondling his sac. She loved the way he started to thrust into her mouth, growing hotter, thicker and harder by the second. It exhilarated her, to know that she was the one woman in the world who could make him unravel with desire and she cherished every little second of it.

It was at that moment when she suddenly felt Cadmus’s tongue move between her lower lips. She whimpered, already extremely wet and practically dripping, her knees buckling as he ran it all the way from the sensitive little nub at the front and back across the slit. His attention was firm and insistent, causing her abdomen to burn with delicious pleasure that was quickly spreading to every part of her being.

Then, she felt something warm and flexible breach her opening and she almost stopped what she was doing as a sudden jolt of bliss ran up her spine. She quickly realized he had slipped his tongue inside her, but she wasn’t about to complain as he started to move it around, thrusting it in and out. Her lower muscles started twitching involuntarily from the stimulation and all she knew at that moment was that she didn’t want him to stop.

Within minutes, she was moaning around his manhood, completely lost in the pleasure she was both giving and receiving. Her body felt like it was on fire, reduced to nothing but the most primal sensory experience, focused on nothing but the hardness in her mouth and his exploration of her most intimate part. By now, she could clearly taste his seed and her womanhood was quivering and rippling from his ministrations.

At this rate, neither of them were going to last much longer…

“Cadmus… I…”

She was surprised she could even manage to get some words out. Thankfully, her lover heard her and stopped what he was doing. She could feel him withdraw from her and look her over. She sensed concern coming from him, probably wondering if he had hurt her in some way. His care for her was sweet, but it was him being too good at this that got her all hot and bothered.

“I… want you. All of you…”

That was apparently all he needed to hear as he gently helped her get off him. She turned around to face him, but before he could do anything else, Katria leaned forward and kissed him. She then crawled back on top of him, running her hands over his chest, only for one of them to slide down to his fully erect member.

She positioned herself above it and, with a last confirmation that he was ready, she carefully started to lower herself.

The Nord woman moaned in delight as she felt the head rub up against the lips, then push past them, making its way into her opening. She was already very slick, causing him to easily slip all the way into her depths. A small gasp escaped from her as she felt him fill every last part of her until he stopped at the hilt. Once he was all the way in, she held still for a moment, taking a deep breath and giving herself time to adjust to his girth while relishing the sensation of being full again.

Cadmus seemed equally entranced by the feeling of their bodies joining, especially since it had been a month since their last tryst. She felt him reach up to stroke her face and breasts, one of his hands eventually descending down to her clitoris again to help her accommodate him. He rubbed it with his thumb, tracing circles around it while at the same time fondling one of her breasts with his other hand. The stimulation practically made her jolt and it was then and there that she decided that she did not want to wait anymore.

Her lover moaned when she insistently began to rock her hips against his. The look he gave her said it all. The Nord woman swore she could see the desire in the Imperial’s eyes and it almost seemed as if he were asking for her permission. She smiled and gave him an affirmative nod, to which he responded by starting to gently thrust inside her. He moved at a steady pace, making sure to fill her all the way in every single time. Katria cocked her head backwards, getting lost in the sensation of him moving in and out of her as sheer ecstasy enveloped her.

She mewled as he brushed up against an incredibly sensitive part inside of her, working herself over him roughly. She could feel his fingers dig into her hips as he helped her along, meeting every rise and descent with a withdrawal and thrust of his own. She rode him for all he was worth, lost in the feeling of friction, fulfilling a primal urge that she had been without for far too long.

The Nord woman jerked a little in surprise when she suddenly felt her lover lean forward and sit up. She stopped what she was doing, wondering if he was alright, only for him to smile. She blushed when he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, only to whimper into his mouth when he started to move again, thrusting even harder and at a much faster pace.

Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist and putting her arms around his shoulders, Katria quickly gave in to the fire tearing through her lower body. By now, Cadmus had let go of all restraint and was taking her fiercely, filling her and stretching her womanhood every time his hips rose to meet hers, brushing against the little nub at the apex with every motion. It was maddening and wonderful all at the same time and she could feel herself pulsing violently as he brought her ever closer to relief.

Then, his lips were on hers again, his tongue battling hers in an almost possessive kiss. At the same time, one of his hands moved to a sensitive area in the small of her back and as he gently pressed it, her nerves came alight all at once. That, combined with a hard, deep thrust, was all she could take. In the blink of an eye, her body descended into a sudden and violent climax.

Katria had no idea if she actually screamed, but if she did, the Imperial clearly didn’t care. Instead, he buried himself as deep as he could inside her, enjoying the way her overly sensitive body rippled around his manhood. Her messy orgasm only made it easier for him to go even harder and it wasn’t long before he came apart as well.

Still high on the wave of bliss, the Nord woman only vaguely felt him release himself inside her. She found the feeling of it perversely exhilarating, and softly rocked her hips to get the most out of both their experiences. In that very moment, she never wanted this sensation of bliss and intimacy to end and she savored every single second of it right until it faded.

The next thing she knew, she found herself splayed over Cadmus’s chest as he had allowed himself to fall backwards onto the pillows again. He was breathing heavily and so was she, but neither of them minded. It had felt good to make love again and even better to feel safe and secure doing so, especially after what had happened almost a month ago.

Neither of them spoke. It wasn’t needed at that moment. All they wanted right now was to bask in the aftermath of their encounter and the peace it brought them. They stayed like that for a good while, taking in the serene quiet of the room and the muted sounds of the outside as the New Life Festival was continuing well into the night.

Eventually, Katria realized she might be lying on top of her lover too long. Having regained some of her strength, she rolled off him. She snuggled against him lovingly, resting her head on his shoulder and placing a hand on his chest. He smiled, putting his arms around her and pulling her closer towards him. 

She closed her eyes, but after lying in silence for a while, Katria found that she couldn’t sleep. Her heart was still pounding, her senses were still heightened, and she was still alert from the high of their lovemaking. Instinctively, she moved her hand back down to her womanhood. Her fingers grazed against her still sensitive core, and upon realizing that she was still extremely wet, her suspicions were confirmed.

She wanted more.

Katria opened her eyes again and looked at Cadmus, who also seemed to be having trouble falling asleep. He looked over her with concern, likely wondering if something was wrong. Before he could say anything, however, she leaned forward and kissed him deeply, inserting her tongue into his mouth. At the same time, her hand started caressing his chest, her thumb playfully flicking at his nipple, while her leg hiked up his thigh. Cadmus could only give her a sheepish smile when they parted from the kiss. It seemed, however, that her lover, ever the gentleman, wanted to make sure they both desired the same thing before proceeding.

The Imperial sounded almost hesitant to ask. “Do you want to…?”

The Nord woman chuckled at his shyness, then kissed him again. “Yes. And I think you do, as well…”

As she said that, her hand slid down from his chest, to his stomach, and down to the area between his legs. Her fingers closed around his manhood and she could instantly tell that, while he needed just a little bit of attention to be at full mast again, he was still hard. Her lips curled into a smile. He still wanted her and she was perfectly happy to give him just that.

Not in the mood to waste time, she began to stroke him again, moving up and down, from tip to base. When she found her rhythm and quickened her pace, it didn’t take very long at all for her lover to harden in her grasp again. As she continued her ministrations, Cadmus snuck his own hand between her legs as well and began to rub circles around her sensitive bud. Even though she was already very wet, Katria was more than happy to have his hand in her most sensitive area again, and she repaid him in kind by doubling her efforts on his manhood. Within a few moments, he was fully erect once more and she could already feel a small drop of his seed coming from the tip.

She sat up, planning to descend down his body and once again pleasure him with her mouth. Cadmus, however, seemed to have different plans. The next thing Katria knew, his mouth was on hers again and she found her own back against the soft mattress with her lover on top of her. He nuzzled her, something she happily answered, before kissing her forehead.

“Mind if I take the lead on this one?”

Almost immediately, a broad smile appeared on her face and she teasingly ran a leg up his thigh. “Not at all. But I do have one request…”

He raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

She gave him a mischievous grin. “Don’t hold back, my love. I want you to take me as hard as you can.”

He didn’t need any more encouragement. She felt how he kissed her again before leaning back, running his hands over her frame as he did. He positioned himself between her legs, chuckling when she impatiently rubbed her hips against his. He placed one hand on her hip in an effort to hold her still, taking his manhood in the other as he rubbed it against her slick womanhood.

Her body relaxed at his touch and as Cadmus sensed her willingness, he pressed the head into her opening. She moaned and writhed excitedly, barely able to keep still as he stroked the nub between her legs. She was immensely wet and aroused at this point, and the idea that he was going to draw it out felt like pure torture.

When he finally slipped in, it was with impossible ease and she moaned in excitement at feeling that familiar fullness again. That, in combination with his attention to her clitoris, was driving her wild and she let out an impatient moan, worried that this alone might be enough to send her over the edge.

“Please, just…”

Her lover simply smiled, leaning down to kiss her, but not yet moving. She felt a hand on hers, as he slid it down their bodies, allowing her to feel the connection between them. Almost as if he wanted to assure her that as rough as it might get, this was something meaningful and sacred between them and that he cared for her comfort and enjoyment above all else.

She knew this, but she wanted no more gentleness tonight. She wanted him, all of him, without him holding back. She conveyed this by wrapping her legs back around his waist, trying to draw him in deeper. Getting the message, he pulled back ever so slightly, causing her to shiver at the intense stimulation, only for him to quickly push back in. Immediately, a surge of ecstasy washed over her. She reached out to stroke his face, her lower lip trembling as she moaned her approval. 

“Cadmus… Take me…”

That was all the Imperial needed. He moved again, clearly taking pleasure in the mewls that escaped her lips. He repeated the motion, again and again, not bothering to start out slow this time. Katria was perfectly fine with this, her body tense and raw as his every thrust stimulated her pulsing insides. She watched as he lifted his upper body off her, leaning back slightly and now thrusting at an angle. A gasp escaped Katria’s lips as Cadmus hit a completely different area that made her see stars. Before she was fully aware of it, she had jerked against the pillows, her back arched and her hands tightly gripping the sheets. She was so lost in the feeling of pleasure that she hadn’t noticed how she was repeatedly moaning Cadmus’s name.

Realizing that he was onto something, her lover grinned. Using his strong arms, he lifted her legs, supporting them on his shoulders as he continued to rapidly pump into her. The Nord woman could only lie back and drink in the wonderful view in front of her— of Cadmus, overcome by lust, taking her with abandon and moving in and out of her as if his very life depended on it. She bit her lower lip as she watched him, almost mesmerized by the sight of his frenzied thrusting, his muscles tense and his scarred, naked body covered in sweat.

He was beautiful. 

She couldn’t get enough of him.

Right now, she was experiencing the best kind of pleasure. Her body no longer felt like her own, all sensation pooling together to where he was roughly taking possession of her. Every time he invaded that wonderfully sensitive spot inside of her, she became ever further undone and she knew that she wanted to ride this out all the way to the end.

“Cadmus… Don’t stop… Please, don’t stop…”

He smiled at her, a warm and loving one, and she quickly found herself unable to say anything else as he buried himself deep inside, rendering her vision blurry and her body alight. She reached out, a hand trailing down his muscular abdomen, basking in his heat, strength and affection as his body joined with hers.

This was how it should be. How one should feel when making love. Safe, but exciting. Passionate, but tender. Right now, everything felt right in the world and it would continue to be that way as long as she was here, holding the man she loved in her arms, lost in the throes of an almost primal encounter between the two of them.

At that moment, all reservations were gone. All she could focus on was how her willing womanhood closed around him like a vice, drawing him in deeper and how he worked himself into her even harder as her body got closer to reaching its peak.

Cadmus seemed to sense it as well, and he immediately leaned forward again, pressing his weight against her and pinning her hands to the bed. Now, there was almost a sense of desperation to his actions, as he took her as hard as he possibly could and called out her name again and again— almost as if he were chanting a prayer. He wanted her to come apart as much as he did, hard enough that she could never possibly forget what it was like to be in his arms. He wanted to bind himself to her in the most intimate way, to make memories that would last them both when he would meet his fate.

Katria wanted that just as much and she couldn’t think anymore as her orgasm approached. Pure, mind-numbing sensations wracked her being, so wonderful that words would never do. She could only wail at each pulse that brought her closer, reducing her to trembling, desperate to find herself going over the brink.

He let go of one of her hands and moved his own hand down her body again. Suddenly, she could feel him toying with her clitoris again and that was all it took. She cried out as her orgasm finally took over, setting every nerve in her body on fire, leaving her writhing in raw, unfiltered bliss. It was overwhelming and yet beautiful at the same time, and she welcomed every moment of it as her vision turned white and she spiraled out into pure, sweet euphoria.

Any screams that might have escaped her mouth were quickly muffled when her lover leaned in to press his lips against hers again. As he continued to thrust into her as if there were no tomorrow, he kissed her deeply and passionately, his tongue entering her mouth and almost mimicking the movement between her legs. All she could do was hang onto him for dear life, her legs tightly wrapped around her lover’s waist as he too drew closer and closer to climaxing. Cadmus thrust into her one last time— as deep and as hard as he humanly could— and just like that, it was all over… She heard him grunt and growl as his lower body spasmed, releasing his seed inside her once more. Katria’s hips bucked as she was filled with an overwhelming heat, very nearly blacking out from the waves of sheer ecstasy crashing down on her.

Soon after, she felt Cadmus’s body against hers as he continued to spend himself with long, slow strokes to recover from his rather violent orgasm. She lazily moved her arms around his shoulders, planting light kisses on his neck and holding him close, not quite ready for them to separate. He seemed perfectly content with that, burying his face in her shoulder and cherishing the closeness as they both came down from their high.

When they did finally find the strength to break apart, it was with a mixture of both relief and satisfaction. This bout of lovemaking had perhaps been the best encounter they’d had so far, but at the same time, the both of them were left utterly spent. Cadmus practically collapsed onto the bed, completely exhausted and drenched in sweat. Katria could hardly blame him, feeling just as fatigued, but she still made an effort to crawl into his arms as she covered them both with the blankets. He happily welcomed her into his embrace and she sighed contentedly as she kissed him on the forehead. She gazed lovingly in his eyes, caressing his cheek as she expressed just how much he meant to her in words.

“I love you, Cadmus… I love you so much…”

He simply smiled, returning the gesture. “I love you too, Katria…”

She smiled back, nuzzling against him, soaking in his warmth as she could slowly feel herself fall asleep. She was fine with that. After all that had happened, the two of them deserved some peaceful, uninterrupted slumber.

As Katria lay beside the man she loved, she once again thought back on the strange turn of events her life had taken in the past year. She had been betrayed, shamed and ridiculed. She had reached the lowest point in her life, but at the same time, she had survived it. She was brought back from the brink of death and arguably emerged stronger than before. She had gone on an incredible adventure and made the discovery of a lifetime. She had cleared her name and overcame all the pain and humiliation. She had finally attained the respect and recognition she had been robbed of for so many years. She published her first book and now had a successful career doing the things she was passionate about.

But perhaps most importantly of all, she found a home. She found a family. She found love. All thanks to the man now holding her in his arms, her beloved partner, who decided to care when she needed it most.

Now, as she slowly drifted off to sleep, she looked forward to a new year, and a new life. To cherish it all, for as long as she was still allowed to have it.


	16. To The End

_“Alduin mahlaan. Sahrot thur qahnaraan. Alduin mahlaan. Dovahkiin los ok dovahkriid. Alduin mahlaan. Thu’umii los nahlot. Alduin mahlaan. Mu los vomir.”_

Alduin has fallen. The mighty overlord is vanquished. Alduin has fallen. The Dragonborn is his Dragonslayer. Alduin has fallen. His Shout is silenced. Alduin has fallen. We no longer follow him.

Those were the words Dragonkind had spoken, before Paathurnax led them off to only the Divines knew where. To teach them the Way of the Voice, though Odahviing expressed his doubts that all of them would submit to a new, peaceful leadership. So did Cadmus, truth be told, but even the strongest of still living dragons would never be the kind of threat that Alduin the World Eater was.

It was over.

That thought, so simple and sudden, was the one thing currently weighing him down like an avalanche of stone. That the battle against Alduin, firstborn of Akatosh and harbinger of the apocalypse, was truly over. The Dragon Crisis had ended and the world would continue as it should until the next Kalpa.

He had played out his destiny and after all of it, he was still alive.

Even now, he found that hard to believe. Especially when for nearly two years, he was not so certain this battle would have a good outcome. He had made preparations before he came here. Just in case he would not be coming back. He had written his will, bequeathing his possessions to those he loved. He had made Jordis his steward, ensuring she had a home in Solitude and could stay with his family. He had even asked the court of Solitude to formally recognize Katria as his common law wife, so she could inherit his estate and take custody of his daughters in the event of his death. He had been at peace knowing everything was taken care of, but it was even better to know all these arrangements would not be necessary for a very long time.

He had survived meeting his fate and now, he was allowed to walk away.

He certainly felt alive. What with how tired he was and how every wound on his body stung and seared. He had been fighting for his life on the fields of Sovngarde, against the most fearsome foe he had ever faced and some of the scars would be carried for life. He was alright with that, as there was only one thing he wanted now that his victory was secured.

He wanted to go home.

To Oblivion with the parades and songs. With feasts and fortunes. It meant nothing to him. He wanted to be in Solitude, in Proudspire Manor. To hold his daughters, who had cried uncontrollably as they said their possibly last goodbye. To see his loyal pets at the door, glad to have him home again. To find Jordis, his dear friend, happy for his return. To take Katria, the love of his life, in his arms again, for many more nights to come…

The thought of all this made him move his feet, one in front of the other. He ignored how his body protested and shrugged off the icy cold winds biting into his skin through the gaps of his bloodstained, battered armor. He followed the path down the mountain to where High Hrothgar was. Where the Greybeards awaited either his success or failure.

As the old monastery came into sight, he instantly noticed that there was a figure waiting for him outside. Immediately, he moved closer, a smile creeping onto his face when he realized the silhouette was unmistakably female. Standing in the bitter, relentless cold that could only exist at the Throat of the World, having come here all the way from Whiterun, Katria was waiting for him and when he came close enough for her to see, her face said more than any words could.

Suddenly, she jerked into a sprint towards him, her movements desperate but purposeful. He increased his pace as well, forcing his injured body forward to reach her. When she was close enough, he immediately took off his helmet and tossed it aside, just in time for her to leap into his arms and kiss him.

The force of her colliding with him nearly knocked him off his feet, but he managed to stay upright as he held her close. Her kiss was forceful, loving and desperate all at once, almost as if she was trying to convince herself that he was really there. She reached her hands up to gently caress his face— bloodied and bruised as it was— tracing the outlines to store this moment into her memory. When she spoke, she sounded hoarse and he could clearly see her eyes were misty.

“Cadmus… You came back…”

She pressed her forehead against his as she allowed her tears to fall freely. Cadmus held her close, nuzzling her lovingly and comforting her as she cried. His lover was practically sobbing by now, but she had every right to. He couldn’t imagine how she must have felt, waiting for him for who knows how long back at High Hrothgar, wondering whether he would be coming back at all…

“Shh… It’s alright… I’m here, Katria. I’m not going anywhere.”

It seemed to take her a while to even accept that. “... So that’s it then? It’s done?”

He nodded. “It is. Alduin is gone.”

She smiled and kissed him again, more tenderly this time, and he wasn’t about to complain. This was the best welcome he could imagine after fighting for the fate of the world. To immediately find himself back in the embrace of a woman who was now far more than just his lover.

Ever since they met, Katria had been with him throughout everything that led up to this moment. She had been beside him when they had ended the rule of Miraak on Solstheim. Wiped out the vampires of Clan Volkihar together. She had traveled with him to the depths of Blackreach to retrieve an Elder Scroll— during which she had discovered the last source of Aetherium and put yet more great discoveries to her name. She had followed him all the way to the highest peaks of the Throat of the World where he faced Alduin for the first time and had aided him in fighting the World Eater herself with all the bravery becoming of a Nord woman. She had helped him trap Odahviing and had said her goodbyes when he mounted the red dragon to face his fate. She considered his daughters her own and was the one who supported him with no questions asked. Now, she was the first to wait for him once he came back from Sovngarde.

She was his true companion, his confidante, his partner. She was the woman who truly understood what it meant that he was the Dragonborn and yet, he could also be something else with her. To Katria, he was just Cadmus, someone who could hurt, bleed, laugh, worry and cry and she still didn’t think any less of him. It was that aspect of her that he cherished the most and as he had faced his destiny, it also made him realize what he truly wanted out of life.

Deep down, even on the day he left home over a decade ago, he had always known he would not wander Tamriel forever. That someday, something, be it good or bad, would come onto his path that would have him set down roots and shape his life more firmly than he had done so far. He had never made any effort to find it himself, trusting in the fact that when the Divines saw fit, they would visit the revelation upon him. Now, here, in the middle of the snow and wind of the Throat of the World, he knew.

He was not a man who cared for power and glory, as the former was useless unto itself and the latter was fleeting. He had no reason to desire endless wealth, as he had made a comfortable life for himself on his own merits. He had refused immortality by slaying the most powerful vampires, and he had snubbed the unlimited knowledge of Hermaeus Mora and Apocrypha by casting his Black Books into the sea. 

What he wanted was something far more simple. A life where adventure was a choice rather than a necessity and where he could share these moments with those he held dear. Where, at the end of the day, there was always a home to go back to. He wanted to do what few Dragonborns had done. To grow old and grey in peace, in the company of those he loved, and return to Sovngarde when his time had come.

That desire had been on his mind for a while now and with the world finally set right again and Alduin defeated, he was now more certain than ever.

With Katria still embracing him, he reached for the pouch on his waist. His hands immediately found the smooth, carved amulet he put in there and its texture felt almost comforting. There was a reason he had brought it with him, based on a decision he had made before he had gone to face Alduin in Sovngarde. To give himself yet another reason to come back alive. Now, it was time to honor that promise he had made to himself.

“Katria…”

She looked up at him questioningly. He didn’t have the heart to ask her to let go of him, so he simply held up the item. Clutching the chain in his fist, he allowed the Amulet of Mara to dangle, leaving it to glisten in the sunlight and sway in the cold winds.

His lover noticed it immediately. She froze, staring at him with the most shocked look on her face. For a moment, Cadmus wasn’t certain if she was simply stunned or horrified.

Part of him realized it was rather sudden. While the two of them had taken all the steps to have their relationship legally recognized, neither of them had spoken about marriage. He supposed that on his end, it was because he feared he might die soon after and he didn’t want that kind of dark cloud hanging above what should be a happy day. Yet now, he had faced the World Eater and lived, and the prospect of actually wedding his lover and having her officially become the mother of his children seemed like a wonderful idea. However, he wasn’t entirely certain if she agreed.

He opened his mouth, but realized he couldn’t really think of anything romantic to say. His fatigue and injuries were getting the better of him and he had spent far more time facing his mortality these last few weeks than he had thinking of a potential proposal. He had no honeyed words to offer her today, only his love and sincerity, and he hoped that would be enough.

As such, he took a deep breath and spoke.

“Katria… I know this is a little unexpected, but… I think now is as good a time as any to ask. I love you, and you mean the world to me. You… you’ve made my days so much brighter and filled my nights with warmth and comfort… And I… I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So… would you have me? Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

It was the first thing that came to mind for him. No fancy speeches, no waxing poetic, no overly dramatic declarations of undying love. Just the truth, as much as he could string it together into words after having just fought for not just his own life, but also the fate of the world. Still, his proposal came from the heart, with no reservations, and something told him that Katria sensed that, too.

Slowly, a smile spread on her face. She reached out one hand, closing it over the one that held the Amulet of Mara. She then leaned in, kissing him on the lips again in a way that was both gentle and almost chaste. The Nord woman pressed her forehead against his and when she answered, it was almost a whisper.

“Yes. Yes, of course, I’ll marry you! There’s nothing I would want more. I love you so much, Cadmus. Thank you… Thank you for coming back to me…”

Then and there, with those words, for a brief moment, all the pain and tiredness disappeared from his body. There was just joy. A deep, all-encompassing feeling of pure happiness. Elation, to know that the worst was over and that he and Katria could go home together. See their children again. Build a life, filled with both adventure and tenderness, until the day Sovngarde beckoned once more. He could only feel ecstatic, being alive at the Throat of the World, held by the woman who would soon be his wife in every way.

He held her a little closer, running his hand through her dark hair flecked with snow, and quietly spoke his own words of love and gratitude. “Thank you, my love. Thank you for being here with me...”

Katria said nothing in response to that and she didn’t need to. Instead, she quietly reached out and took his hand. She gently pulled him towards the monastery and he willingly followed. Now was no longer the time for talking. It was time to get to a place of warmth and safety, where wounds could be healed and they could prepare for the long, but much desired journey home.

It took several days for them to reach Solitude. After tending to his injuries with a combination of potions and healing magic, resting for a few hours and speaking with the Greybeards one last time, the two of them had descended down the mountain. They had stayed at the inn in Ivarstead, where they spent the evening sharing a warm, hearty meal and simply talking, enjoying each other’s company. After getting some well-deserved sleep, they traveled to Whiterun by foot in the morning. They had a short stay there to gather supplies and rest, as well as a small, congratulatory feast with Lydia and some of their friends in the city. Finally, they had taken a carriage home to the capital of Skyrim, the one place in the world where they wanted to be most.

It was a homecoming he would never forget. They arrived at dusk, but as soon as he raised his voice to let everyone know he was home, the house came alive. His pets jumped up to greet him with happy barks, licks and whines. Sofie and Lucia ceased their activities immediately and ran up to him and Katria, their happy cries of “Papa” and “Mama” bouncing off the stone walls. Their daughters clung to them like they would never let them go for as long as they lived as tears of joy ran down their cheeks. Even Jordis embraced them both with visible relief as she welcomed them back home.

It was clear all of them were full of questions. About what he had experienced, how he had fought and no doubt about the Amulet of Mara clearly visible around Katria’s neck. The girls especially were looking at it with starry eyes, no doubt knowing what it entailed and loving the idea of it. Even so, none of those questions were said out loud, not now. There was all the time in the world for it later.

Instead, Jordis told the girls they should head to the market and gather some food, so they could make a lovely big meal to celebrate their return. She sent them out with a small list, meanwhile telling him and Katria to put their things away and have some rest, even offering to heat up some water so they could have a relaxing bath. Cadmus happily took her up on it and without thinking, he and his lover were climbing up the stairs to the safety and comfort of their room.

The bedroom was exactly as they left it. Spacious, warm, cozy and inviting. A far cry from the tents, rented rooms, barracks and open skies that the two of them had endured for most of their lives. This place was theirs, their own little kingdom, and tonight, exhaustion be damned, they would be under those covers together, celebrating their engagement by making one another forget everything beside their lover’s name.

He wasn’t surprised at all when Katria simply threw her stuff aside and removed her armor. He did the same and as if both were sharing the same thought, they embraced. They shared a passionate kiss there in the privacy of their room, without the restrictions of their armor, a silent acknowledgement of everything they had experienced together, and a promise of more physical, intimate things to come later…

There would be time for that, tonight and tomorrow and the day after. Just as there was time to watch their children grow up, to have a wedding and seal their bond, to go on countless adventures and make memories both between these walls and outside of it. Everything that had happened had led them here and he knew in that moment that there was no other place in the world he and Katria would rather be.

This place was their home, and after all they had been through, this was where they would always return.


End file.
